Fallen Leaves on the Ground
by Arsahi
Summary: Thom of Trebond's daughter wanted nothing more than to blend in, another autumn leaf on the ground. The world simply won't let her forget who she is, and who she's destined to become. Chapter Seven.
1. Maleah

_Author's notes: After re-reading the Song of the Lioness, I decided to write this. It's different, it's kinda new, and I have to wonder how many would be interested in this. Be open-minded as you read. I haven't written anything really Tortallan since the conclusion of Free Falling, and rather than write another Kel/Neal piece...I decided to write this. Any distasteful comments left about the unlikelihood of any of this occurring will be routinely deleted, because what is fanfiction but the scripting of events that have the remotest possibility of happening?_

_Additionally, Maleah was sent to Cythera when she was five, and she was never formally adopted because her silence never indicated to Gary and Cythera she desired otherwise. Her birthday is in December of 439, and our story begins in January of 450, which places this piece at the beginning of the Immortals quartet._

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_Maleah_

Everyone said she looked just like her father.

Lady Maleah of Elden possessed none of the features that would typically link her to her aunt Cythera: no soft blond hair, no dazzling blue eyes or fair skin, no willowy height. She was the daughter of Cythera's younger sister, Jeynna of Elden. For all intents and purposes, Maleah could have passed for the Lioness' daughter.

Sitting still with her shoulders back, hands resting in her lap, with her violet eyes focused upon the floor, Maleah allowed her nanny, Niema, to braid her hair. Since Jeynna's passing when Maleah had turned five years old, the young woman had been living with her aunt Cythera in Corus, then with Cythera and Uncle Gareth alternatively between Naxen and Corus. Maleah did her best to remain out of sight of the eyes of the court, not wanting the attention her looks brought upon her.

Her father had died around the time of King Jonathan III's coronation. Aunt Cythera had told her that her father was Lord Thom of Trebond, making her paternal aunt Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop. Maleah often kept silent, an orphan who was nothing but a burden upon her aunt and uncle. As Niema finished braiding Maleah's hair, finishing them off with silken violet ribbons, Duchess Cythera breezed into her niece's chambers.

"Thank you, Niema," Cythera said graciously, giving the K'miri woman a bright smile. Niema curtseyed and excused herself from their presences. "Maleah," Cythera began, taking the barely ten-year-old girl by the hand and urging her to stand, "your uncle and I have been talking."

Maleah kept her eyes steadily upon the floor.

Accustomed to the child's almost unnatural silence, Cythera began to smooth the wrinkles from the girl's white dress trimmed in violet. She really was an adorable child, Cythera mused silently, and under the right tutelage she would break many hearts at court. "Uncle Gary and I have been talking about where you are to be now," she continued. "I think I know the answer, but your uncle insists that I ask: where would you like to be sent, little one? Would you prefer to stay here in Corus and learn to be a knight like Uncle Gary and Aunt Alanna, or would you like to learn to be a lady at the convent in the City of the Gods?"

At last, Maleah raised her gaze to her aunt, her amethyst gaze sprinkled with flecks of emerald green. The first glimpse of the young girl's full visage always brought back images of Jeynna for Cythera, and she could never help but cupping the child's face in her hands. She had the delicate jaw and high cheeks of her sister, softening the hard lines that marked Baroness Alanna, but the familial resemblance was undeniable.

"But I am no lady," Maleah whispered. "I am an orphan, Aunt Cythera; I have no fief I belong to, no family--"

Cythera frowned. "Maleah, I've told you repeatedly that you're as much a daughter to me as my own. Uncle Gary loves you just as much as I do. Would it make you feel better if he had you formally adopted? That would make you Lady Maleah of Naxen just as much as your cousins."

"But why?" Maleah asked, her voice barely audible.

"Because we love you, Maleah," Cythera explained. "We love you, copper hair and all. In fact, I'm going to tell your uncle that we need to formally adopt you. We've been talking about it, but your uncle has been quite busy with everything Jon has piled on him and Thayet and her social calendar..."

Maleah's gaze dropped back to the floor.

Pursing her lips, Cythera took Maleah by the hand again and said, "Let's go find your uncle."

They found Tortall's Prime Minister in his office off of King Jonathan's. Gareth the Younger of Naxen barely noticed when his wife and niece entered the open door, buried in paperwork quite literally to his eyeballs. He made a sound of greeting and motioned to the chairs placed at the anterior of his desk and placed the royal seal on a row of five documents. "I'll be with you in a moment," he said absently.

Cythera cleared her throat. "Gary," she said, mildly amused.

Gary stopped what he was doing and stood, looking over the stacks at his wife and niece. A flash of confusion and resignation passed over his face. "What did I forget now?"

"Nothing, dear," Cythera answered, steering Maleah around the corner of the desk to stand before her uncle. "Young Maleah here feels she doesn't belong in our family, that neither of us love her as a parent does a daughter."

His brow knit together in worry as her gathered the little girl in his arms. "You may have come to us unconventionally, 'Leah, but you are just as much a daughter of Naxen as your cousins. The Conte's all consider you their cousin." Suddenly, he went searching in the stacks of parchment on his desk and finally procured a document. "Ah, here we are. I knew I'd gotten most of this completed. Cyth, all I need is your signature upon this and it will make Maleah officially a Naxen."

Without hesitation, Cythera provided her signature and watched Gary call for a servant to take the document to Jonathan. "There, Lady Maleah of Naxen. Now, where shall we send you? The convent, or are you staying here in Corus?"

"The convent, please," Maleah breathed, her purple eyes swimming with tears as she clung to her uncle's--no, her father's chest. "If it pleases you, Mother."

Cythera and Gary exchanged smiles over Maleah's head as Cythera said, "It pleases me just fine, daughter."

* * *

News of the new addition to the Naxen family spread throughout court like wildfire. The great, feared sorcerer Thom of Trebond's and Jeynna of Elden's orphan daughter had just been formally adopted by the King's cousin! What madness was this? They had expected this sort of bold move from the King's Champion, but for _Gary_ to do something so irrational!

That evening at supper, when they entered the royal banquet hall, Gary and Cythera decided to bring Maleah along so that she would be able to eat with her new cousins Roald, Kalasin, and Liam. Additionally, the Lioness was actually in Corus that evening, and it would give her an opportunity to interact with her strikingly different niece. Gary knew he would hear from Alanna regarding the hoarding of her only niece, but he felt it was worth it. Maleah needed a family more than she needed more aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The herald at the banquet doors proclaimed, "Presenting Prime Minister of Tortall, Duke Gareth of Naxen; Social Secretary to her Majesty Queen Thayet, Duchess Cythera of Naxen; and for the first time, Lady Maleah of Naxen."

Gary and Cythera firmly held one each of Maleah's hands, walking down the length of the hall as the conversations died around them and blossoming in earnest in their wake. Thayet's eye rolling wasn't lost on her secretary, who hid a smile with all of her conventional training. As Gary and Cythera took their respective seats at either side of their royal overseers, Jonathan rose from his chair and knelt to get a good look at his second cousin. He had seen the girl once or twice in passing before, but had never seen her very closely.

"Incredible," he murmured to himself. "You're just the mirror image of Lord Thom and the Lioness."

Maleah struggled to keep her eyes upon her king, but her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

"Jon, you're scaring my niece," said a gruff voice from behind her.

The Lioness!

Hearing the woman's voice made Maleah begin to tremble and she whimpered, looking frantically for her parents. Seated closest, Gary swept her up and let the small child tuck herself against his chest with one broad hand comfortingly upon her back. "You'll have to excuse my daughter, Alanna," he said quietly, his brown eyes dancing. "Where cousin Jon may strike little fear in the heart's of children, the roar of the Lioness shakes them to the core."

"Preposterous," Alanna declared.

Maleah's arms curled around Gary's neck, who just looked smug. Suddenly, a saffron nimbus obscured the child's form, her Gift attempting to protect her without any proper training.

Wincing, Gary slowly set Maleah upon the floor and said, "I can't hold you when you do that, 'Leah, it hurts."

Jon raised an eyebrow and looked to Alanna, then to Gary. "Has she had any formal instruction with her Gift?"

Shrugging, Gary looked to Cythera. "Cyth?"

"Niema never mentioned she had the Gift," Cythera murmured. "And we hired Niema particularly because she was highly Gifted, with the thought that she would be Gifted too..."

This was what Maleah hated most: when the adults spoke of her as though she didn't stand in the room, as though she had no ears with which to hear their remarks about her. Considering the untimely demise of her biological father and his unnatural resurrection of Duke Roger of Conte, Maleah often found herself the subject of court gossip, and Lady Jeynna had done her best to shield her small child from the unabashed stares and cruel commentary of the masses. Often, they neglected to remember that Maleah shared genes with the Lioness as well.

Prince Roald, a scant nine years of age, beckoned to Maleah while the adults talked, urging her to come sit with him. He, too, was the very image of his father, with some of the more delicate features of his K'miri ancestors. His sister, Kalasin, was just as beautiful as he, and their young brother Liam looked more closely like his grandfather--or so people said. "Come here, cousin," Roald said, pushing the chair next to him.

Silently, Maleah took the seat and folded her hands in her lap as Lady Jeynna had shown her so long ago.

"I'm Roald," he continued. "This is Kally, my sister, and Liam, our brother. Someday, I'll be king, and next year I'll be a page, Father says."

Kalasin studied Maleah closely. "You look like Sir Alanna."

Blinking in surprise, Maleah looked up at the princess, the first to say she looked only like the Lioness and not like Thom of Trebond. "I do?"

"You _do_ talk," Roald said with a note of triumph. He glanced over at Alanna, engaged in animated conversation with Gary, Cythera, Jonathan, and Thayet. "You look an awful lot like her, Kally's right. Is she your mother?"

Maleah shook her head.

"Of course she isn't, brother," Kally said airily. "She's cousin Gary's daughter."

Even the royal heirs were talking about her as though she didn't exist. Suddenly, Maleah wished fervently that Lady Jeynna was still alive and well, and that she was at Elden with her and Grandfather.

* * *

That night, Maleah dreamed. From time to time, the girl would suffer prophetic dreams that would frighten her and end with her screaming in the middle of the night. The Gods gave her one of those dreams.

In her dream, a shining, golden blade thrust savagely up from the ground beneath her, rendering a gaping schism in the earth. The crack swallowed her and a shaggy blond dog and closed up, when a brilliant white and silver winged horse descended upon her. The winged horse scooped her up and placed her at the feet of a noble eagle, behind which flames engulfed her surroundings. Suddenly, the winged horse turned to ash, and the eagle looked more like a phoenix. "A single step," echoed the bird's voice before it flew away, leaving her in the circle of fire, alone.

Maleah woke, screaming.

Globes of pale yellow light encircled the bed, casting dim shadows around her. Panicked, Maleah threw her bed covers over her head as Niema parted the curtain hanging around the child's bed. "Lady Maleah, ye havin' another of them dreams?"

"Why haven't you told Aunt Cythera of...of my Gift?" Maleah wanted to know.

"Ye've no need fer it," Niema said quietly. Instantly, the yellow globes above Maleah vanished. "Aside, ye've only gotten dreams 'til this eve."

"That will be all, Niema."

"Yer Grace!" Niema sounded startled.

"You have been dismissed," Gareth continued. Maleah heard more than saw Niema scurry away and felt Gary's weight upon the edge of her bed and peered over the edge of her quilt with her purple eyes. "You've been having dreams, Maleah?"

The blanket went back over her head.

"This is important," he said softly, turning the blanket back down so he could see her. "What kind of dreams are they, little one?"

At last, Maleah admitted, "I See things..."

"Like what?" he pressed. "It's very important that you tell me what you See, Maleah."

A few moments of silence passed before Maleah recounted the events of her dream to her adoptive father, gazing up at him with guarded eyes. When he said nothing, she whispered, "No Trebond Saw things."

Shaking his head, Gary tucked her back into bed and kissed her forehead. "It isn't that, little one. The events in your dream could mean anything--although the message clearly indicates...worrisome events to transpire. Go back to sleep. Cyth and I are just down the hall."

Obediently, Maleah closed her eyes, but sleep refused to come.


	2. January 450

_Author's notes: For sanity's sake, I've made Gary and Cythera's son (born in 452) their first born child, which makes Maleah their only charge thus far. Additionally, I'm aware that Daine and Numair are at Long Lake in 450 (according to the timeline on Tammy's website), but this part takes place in the winter period left unaddressed after the attack on Pirate's Swoop. Here, Daine and Numair have returned to the palace for the winter months._

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_January 450_

A fresh blanket of alabaster snow coated the palace grounds, confining young ladies like Maleah of Naxen to indoor activities. Presently, she found herself in one of her many daily exercises regarding the control of her Gift, and her teacher was none other than Alanna, her intimidating biological aunt.

As Maleah's attention wandered, Alanna gave her a quick tap on the forehead. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Blinking, she looked up at the Lioness from her seated position on the floor of Alanna's chambers and tilted her head.

Alanna put a hand on her hip and stared back at Maleah. "Is there a reason you don't speak?"

As the child continued to stare at Alanna with her wide eyes so eerily like Thom's, Alanna had to fight the urge to cover the girl's eyes with her hands. It was unnerving, and not much unnerved the King's Champion of the last ten years. At least Maleah wasn't frightened of her anymore, Alanna told herself, and she listens to directions well. "I know you can talk," Alanna said, dropping into a seated position in front of Maleah, "and I know you understand what I'm saying. Gary and Cythera tell me about the things you talk about--for example, I know about the dream you had last week."

Maleah's mouth opened as though she meant to say something, but nothing escaped her.

"About the winged horse and the bird, yes? Gary told me about it," Alanna continued. "What do you think the dream meant?"

Rather than speaking, Maleah formed a globe of pale yellow light between her open hands, within the form of the golden sword in her dream. The rotating globe rose from her hands in her lap to eye level with her and Alanna. "A betrayal is coming, and the tool will not know what he has done," Maleah said quietly. The globe collapsed. "The betrayal will affect Niema and I; Niema is always the dog in my dreams. I don't know what the winged horse means or the shifting bird or the fire."

"Are you sure it's a man?" Alanna asked her, touching the ember at her throat. The girl glowed with pale saffron.

Maleah nodded and averted her eyes back to the floor. As Alanna watched Maleah, she realized the girl was frightened and ashamed, and possessed none of the attention-craving drive that characterized her brother and herself. If anything, Maleah seemed to want to be left alone.

"Tell me about Lady Jeynna," Alanna requested.

Maleah looked sharply up at her aunt and let her forehead crease in confusion. "You want to know about Mama?"

"I do," Alanna said with what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

For a long while after that, Maleah sat in silence and Alanna remained quiet as well, waiting for the girl to open up to her. At last, Maleah said, "Mama looked a lot like Aunt...Mother. Long blond hair, and tall, but she had green eyes. And she sang. Mama always sang. And Mama always talked about how much she loved him."

Alanna didn't need her to elaborate on which "him" she meant. It was clearly Thom.

"And Mama never wanted me to be here at Court," Maleah admitted. "Mama said she would send me to the convent at the City...and then I would marry Joren of Stone Mountain, because Mama said it would be best for Elden. Father said because Mama died I don't have to marry him, but I hear Mother and him talking at night about how to destroy the contract."

Alanna felt sorry for the young girl. She could only imagine being five and being told she would have to marry someone! Fighting back a shudder, Alanna nodded in encouragement. She wanted to hear more.

By then, though, Maleah had reached her limit for talking and went quiet. She would go to the convent because Jeynna had wanted her to go and learn to be a lady, and because that was all she had to prove to Gary and Cythera that they hadn't made a mistake in finally claiming her as their own. "Alright," Alanna said. "You can go, Maleah. I need to find your parents."

Wordlessly, Maleah rose to her feet, curtseyed to her aunt, and left.

* * *

Alanna slammed her hands on Gary's desk, shaking the wooden piece of furniture as Gary signed his name to a stack of documents. Luckily, he had been anticipating the motion, lifted his pen from the parchment until the tremors subsided, and finished his name in a flourish. "Gary," she said plainly, "what took you so long to adopt Maleah?"

Shuffling the pages aside, Gary motioned Alanna to sit and raised his eyes to hers. "Do you want the honest answer or the not-so-honest answer?"

"The honest answer," Alanna replied, remaining standing rather than taking the offered seat.

"We didn't know what to do with her," Gary admitted. "Cyth took care of her the best she could and I've no experience with children. Both of us had seriously considered sending her to you, but every night we decided to send her the next day, something came up and neither of us could write to you. Nobody even knew when she had been born, and suddenly, Cythera's sister dies and this five-year-old child looking like Thom of Trebond come alive is standing in my doorway and I can't for the life of me figure out who this girl is." He set the pen down upon the stacks of parchment and rubbed the back of his neck. "We knew she wasn't yours. Alan and Aliane had only been born that year, and your son was two. Cyth took one look at her, said she was Jeynna's, and she's been with us since then. I'm thirty-five years old, Alanna. I'm the Prime Minister. I've been running my fief from afar for eleven years, but I'm only just now learning to be a father. Child-rearing," he added dryly, "wasn't covered in our knight training."

At last, Alanna sat in the chair, sympathizing with Gary's claim about raising children. "So why adopt her now?"

"Cyth and I love her as if she were our own daughter," he explained easily. "When I wrote the First Daughter of the convent in the City, I was sharply told that orphans sent to them would train to be Daughters of the Convent and refused the opportunity to return to Court. That would get her out of marrying Joren of Stone Mountain, but in the long run, I don't envision Maleah being happy as a priestess."

"Tell me you don't think she's happy right now," Alanna's voice was skeptical.

"Of course she isn't. I don't know what _would_ make her happy."

Pursing her lips, Alanna thought for a few moments. "Well, what does she like to do?"

"As far as I can tell, nothing." Gary rose from his seat and spared a glance to the bell tower outside, its surface decorated with a large stone clock. "Excuse me, Alanna, but I'm going to be late to meet with the Ambassador from Maren. Just--spend some time with her, will you? She could use all of the support she can get, and Cyth and I...well, I can't imagine it's easy to have me or Cythera for surrogate or adoptive parents."

"Or my brother for a father and me for an aunt," Alanna murmured dryly as Gary whirled out of the office, a large stack of documents shoved under one arm.

* * *

"That's where the pages and squires learn about controlling and using their Gifts," said a voice from behind her.

Maleah jumped and gasped, blushing as she backed away from the door to the classroom and feeling guilty. The man standing behind her was outrageously tall with slightly bedraggled black hair and dark, twinkling eyes. He held an enormous hand out to her and she stared up at him with a mixture of awe and fear that rooted her to the spot.

Clearing his throat, he dropped the hand and said, "The name is Numair Salmalin. If I remember right, you're the Prime Minister's daughter, aren't you?" When she said nothing, he continued, "Alanna said she's been teaching you about your Gift." Again, she gave no response other than beginning to relax. "Come with me, little miss. It would be best if we weren't found milling in the knights' quarters come the bell. Don't make that face, I know your relatives rather well."

A few moments passed before Maleah moved towards Numair, relying on her instinct that this man wouldn't harm her. When he began to walk, she found she needed three or four steps for one of his with her short legs--she didn't inherit her mother's willowy height. "Wait," she gasped, practically running alongside him. "You're too fast."

Numair easily scooped her up and situated her at his back, cradling her tiny legs against his long waist. "Better?" he asked.

Blushing, she said, "Yes, sir."

"None of that 'sir'-ing, little miss. I'm no knight and certainly no noble. Around here, I'm just Numair," he told her. Maleah found, as they traveled the halls, she rather liked being enshrouded by this giant of a man. Most of the odd glances were given to him, which he seemed to deflect with an easy greeting or a smile. Something about him made her feel at ease. When they finally stopped, Maleah found herself in one of the numerous libraries sprinkled throughout the palace grounds. "I'd like to try something with you."

Maleah's heart sank. Numair didn't want to be her friend. He just wanted to use her. That's all she ever seemed to be: a tool, either topic for conversation or a training dummy.

"None of that," he admonished gently, having felt her stiffen at his back. He shouldered open the library door and swept to the back of the deserted room, setting her on one of the long oaken tables. "You'll enjoy this, I promise, and it'll help you wherever you go. I'm a mage, too, little miss."

Skeptical, Maleah watched Numair with her violet-green gaze and wondered what on earth he could possibly want from her.

"Lord Thom was the youngest Mithran Master in modern history," Numair told her. "That means he was probably one of the greatest sorcerers Tortall has ever had to offer. Lady Jeynna of Elden was a fair hand with the Gift, too, which means that you, little miss, are a veritable wellspring of magical potential. Not many bother to practice looking for magic as I do, but you blaze as brightly as the sun, Lady Maleah. It shimmers around you like the reflection of the sun on the sea, and I have to wonder what, exactly, you're Gifted at--healing magic, academic magic, fire, air, earth, water, offensive, defensive...or if you've the potential for all of those. Something tells me, little miss, that you and I may meet again as peers and equals."

Maleah had learned recently that her cousins Roald and Kally both had the Gift as well, Roald's more academically-focused while Kally had a strong inclination for healing. "I can See things," she said uselessly. "And I can make globes of light with pictures inside."

"Let me see," Numair coaxed, taking a seat in one of the chairs so he would be eye level with her.

Hands cupped in front of her with her eyes closed, Maleah reached into the shining yellow light inside of her and forced it into an oscillating sphere hovering just inches above her palms. Inside, a picture of Lady Jeynna's face formed. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Numair and dropped her hands, the globe levitating where she left it.

"Splendid," Numair praised her. "Did you teach yourself that?"

"No, Mama did," she said softly. "She said if I ever got lost from her, all I would have to do is make a picture of her. Or if I ever needed to find someone, I could use my Gift."

Numair stroked his chin with his thumb, looking thoughtful. Holding his hand out to her, he said, "Take my hand. I want you to try and strengthen me with your Gift, a simple feat for anyone with a Gift for healing."

Touching her globe, it scattered. Then, Meleah took his massive hand in both of her littler ones and looked into Numair's eyes. Their dazzling depths blurred slightly as she dove into her Gift again, emerging with a slender golden strand that she tried vainly to give to Numair.

"Enough," he said softly. "No healing, then. Not a big surprise, unless you took after your aunt. Mithros, that'd be a sight," he murmured to himself. "I wonder...Maleah, try to extinguish that torch over there."

"Turn out the light?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, make the light disappear."

Maleah closed her eyes and pictured the library in her mind. She thought sternly, _Go dark._

When she opened her eyes, she couldn't see in front of her.

"...If you would, Maleah, please give the light back," he requested, a hint of amusement in his voice. There was a clamoring out of the library walls that hinted the library hadn't been the only area to lose its illumination.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, picturing the library again. _Light up?_ she thought.

A sudden expulsion of air and burst of light beyond her eyelids let Maleah know that the light had returned. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Light magic," Numair said thoughtfully. "Useful. With control, that will be an invaluable application of your Gift. For example, you'll be able to control the degree of light permitted in a room, manipulate shadows, be able to locate individuals standing in direct sunlight--it's a powerful Gift, especially coupled with the Sight. Rather amazing, really. I wonder if any of the Adepts at the City will be able to train you as such...ah, no matter--"

"Master Salmalin," said a servant from the door. "His Majesty requests your presence in the War Chambers."

Looking pained, Numair rose from his seat and said, "Let his Majesty know I'll be there as soon as I replace his cousin." The servant bowed and departed from the library as Numair looked to Maleah apologetically. "Tell Alanna what we did today and she'll help you. As for now, I need to go meet your cousin Jon, and I don't think Gary would like it too much if I let you wander unattended."

Scooping her up again, he carried her back towards the nobles' residential quarters and left her standing at the entrance to the Naxen chambers. Ruffling her hair, he winked and said, "Remember to tell Alanna what we discussed!" and vanished.

With a sigh, Maleah let herself into her rooms and curled up on her bed. Light magic. What a silly idea.

* * *

A knock at Maleah's door preceded its opening. "Maleah, it's time for your lesson with Aunt Alanna," Cythera told her after the evening meal.

With a sigh, Maleah set aside her diary--the last gift she'd received from her mother--and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. Today, her wavy copper hair had been woven into a braid with two tendrils to frame her slender face, brushing her jaw and falling tragically short of the remainder of her hair. "Coming," Maleah said softly.

Surprise rendered Cythera immobile for a moment, not having expected a verbal answer from the little girl who now passed quietly by her. She wondered if Numair had said something to her that had changed Maleah's perspective and shook her head. Although Maleah had said nothing to her or Gary about her visit with Numair, the university-trained mage had eagerly told them what he had discovered with the young child at the meeting Jonathan had called.

When Maleah reached Alanna's quarters, she let herself in and crept into the darkened room. "Aunt Alanna?" she called tremulously.

"I'm here," Alanna answered from the opposite side of the room, suddenly visible by a small violet light. "Arram told me what you and he learned earlier."

Maleah tilted her head to the side in question and stood in silence for a few moments before realizing that her aunt could not see her. "Arram?"

"Numair," Alanna clarified. "Bring the light back to my room, Maleah, as you did with the library. Did you know you dimmed the whole palace earlier?"

Thankful for the darkness, Maleah blushed. Clasping her hands almost in a prayer-like movement, she closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. From across the room, Alanna gripped her emberstone and watched the yellow light across the room solidify into a more concentrated outline of Maleah, and suddenly the room came to life in light. The moment the light returned, the yellow outline Maleah had relaxed and began to seep out again.

"You're gaining more control, but it isn't perfect yet," Alanna commented. "Come here. We'll be meditating tonight."

Maleah made a face and seated herself next to Alanna.

In a matter of minutes, Maleah had sunken into her meditative state. Around her, she could feel the blaze of her aunt's violet magic, the azure flare of the King's Gift, the pearly silver of the magic of Tortall itself, and a shimmering, shadowy tone that felt like Numair. The emberstone at Alanna's neck shone the brightest purple of all, and Maleah felt engulfed by all of the magic surrounding her. She almost panicked before out of the corners of her meditative vision, she saw glittering sparkles of yellow and realized that all of the light shone with her power.

Her mind began to drift.

As the memory of her last moments with Lady Jeynna began to surface, Alanna touched her shoulder, bringing her out of the trance. "This will be our last session until you return to Court," Alanna told her. "I've got to head south in the morning and in about two weeks you'll be heading to the City. The snow around Corus will have melted enough by then, and undoubtedly you'll make a stop in Naxen on your way there. By then, the passages should have cleared enough."

Nodding, Maleah remained seated.

"Until you go, I want you to meditate and practice keeping your Gift inside until you call it. When you've got that mastered, you should be ready to go to the City--although why you'd want to go to such a place is beyond me." Alanna rubbed her chin with the tip of her finger. "A few things, before you go. Firstly, that's where my brother, your father, studied magic with the Mithran priests and you may find that they will hold you in suspicion until you prove yourself with them. Don't worry about that. Us Trebonds are built for adversity. Secondly, if you need _anything_, send word to Pirate's Swoop, Trebond, or Olau. My husband or Coram, who is as much a brother to me as Thom was, or my father or step-mother will be ready to aid you at a moment's notice." Alanna had so much more she wanted to say to the little girl, who could have been Thom or her when they were just brats running around Fief Trebond, but she held her tongue. She didn't know how to express what she felt. "If you need anything before you go, Gift-wise, find Numair or Jon."

Maleah nodded again.

"And--good luck," Alanna finished lamely. She didn't know what to say to her niece.

Recognizing the dismissal, Maleah rose and let herself out of the Champion's quarters. When she reached the hallway, she bit her lip and looked back at the door. That would be the last time she'd see her aunt for the next five or six years, she realized wistfully. With another sigh, she worked her way back along the winding corridors of the palace and found herself in the pages' halls.

Instinct pushed her down the halls, leading her through a portion of the palace she had never explored on her own. At last, she stopped in front of the pages' dormitories and she frowned. _I shouldn't be here,_ she told herself. _But..._

A group of young boys emerged from one of the nearby rooms and she threw herself behind a nearby decorative suit of armor, wishing fervently that the light would hide her form. There was a small change in pressure in the hallway.

One of the boys stopped.

"Did you feel that?" he asked the five other boys around him.

"Feel what?" one of the others asked.

"It was..." he started, a slight frown touching his features. "Never mind," he said softly, although he looked straight at Maleah and tilted his head.

"Connell, you've been studying too much," scoffed one of the others. "Come on."

The boy called Connell stared more intently at Maleah's spot and waved absently behind him. "Go on, Airen. I forgot something."

Airen shrugged and looked to the other four. "Let's leave Connell to his madness, men." As soon as they were out of hearing, Connell dropped his books and parchment to the floor and hurried to the decorative suit as Maleah shifted along the wall, shimmying towards the entrance to the hallway.

Suddenly, a hand clamped on her upper arm and a sword-point was pressed against her ribs.

"Mithros," the boy called Connell swore, releasing her and sheathing his sword. "What in the name of all things holy are _you_ doing down here?"

Affronted, Maleah straightened herself, smoothed her skirt, and said in her most commanding and noble voice, "Is that any way to treat a lady?"

Connell gave a short snort. "Is it very ladylike to skulk about the pages' wing, invisible?"

Scowling, Maleah put her hands on her hips and stared at him. It wasn't until that moment that she had really looked at him: he was a whole head taller than her with short, cropped but shaggy brown hair and deep, cocoa-colored eyes that gave no room to question his sharp wit. Even though he wasn't smiling, his stern face betrayed a dimple upon one cheek, bordered by a strong jaw and chin, high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and ears just a hair too big for his face. "Connell, was it? I'll be informing my father of you."

Connell's eyebrows disappeared into the tousled hair at his forehead. "What? That I responded to a potential threat in the pages' hall? I somehow doubt my Lord will question my decision."

Maleah felt useless. He was right, of course; no one in their right minds would take her side of this scuffle. In fact, she would be lucky if he decided to keep the incident to himself. At last, she smoothed her skirt out again, attempting to hide her nerves. "But would he dare to question the Prime Minister of Tortall himself?"

"Oh," Connell sounded disappointed and bored. "You're _her_, that Maleah girl."

Suddenly, Maleah heartily disliked this young man. "My _name_ is Maleah of Naxen, daughter of Duke Gareth and Duchess Cythera of Naxen, niece of the Lioness, and cousin to King Jonathan himself." She jabbed a finger into his chest and deepened her scowl. "You would do well to remember that."

A beat passed before Connell burst out laughing, nearly doubling over with his effort to remain standing. Peals of laughter echoed down the pages' wing for a few moments as boys poked their heads out of their doors, Maleah turning a brilliant scarlet. When he finally regained control, her threw an arm around her shoulders, pushed her in front of him, and escorted her down the hallway, away from the gaping stares.

Taking a deep breath, Connell released her shoulders and took her hand. "Lady Maleah," he said softly, kissing the back of it. "Pardon my rudeness. I was born Connell of Foxtrail Creek, Page in service of the King, eldest son of Baron Nelsen and Baroness Mischa of Foxtrail Creek, cousin of Commander Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak of the King's Own. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Confused, Maleah snatched her hand away from Connell of Foxtrail Creek and cradled it to her chest. She distrusted him.

"Don't scowl so, my lady," Connell advised. "You look far too much like Sir Alanna when you do that."

"Do you have the Gift?" she asked suddenly, the scowl replaced by one of polite curiosity.

The eyebrows went back into his hair. Lifting a hand, he waved it in front of himself, leaving a shower of brilliant aquamarine sparks in its wake. "I do. Why do you ask?"

Curtseying, Maleah avoided his question and said, "I need to return to my chambers. It was a pleasure to meet you, Page Connell."

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort you back at this late hour?" Connell asked airily, offering his arm to her.

"I couldn't possibly..." she started.

He threaded his arm under hers and said, "Nonsense. Of course you possibly could. Now, why did you want to know about my Gift?"

"No reason," she said demurely, keeping her eyes trained ahead. She felt awkward, postured upon this young man's arm. "How old are you?"

"Nearly fourteen," he admitted. "Missed the Page examinations for Squirehood by two months. I'll have to take them next Midwinter. What about you? You can't be older than eight or nine."

He felt her go stiff and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. She was a noble, all right. "I'm ten, thank you very much."

"Going to a convent then?" he questioned.

"Why do you assume a convent?" she wanted to know. Maleah _never_ spoke this much to anybody! What was wrong with her today? And why was she being so rude to this young man? She was confusing herself with her own behavior! "Do you think I couldn't perform well as a knight, or perhaps as a mage at the new university cousin Jon built?"

"Good grief," Connell muttered. "Lady Maleah, if you _must_ know, I'm hoping you'll go to a convent so I won't have to suffer the unquestioned merciless beating I would otherwise receive if you were training as a knight." He couldn't keep the dryness from his inflection.

They walked in silence after that. When they reached her door, Connell released her with a sweeping bow normally reserved for royalty.

"Sleep well, fair maiden," Connell bade her goodnight. "May you have pleasant dreams."

Awkwardly, Maleah whispered, "Goodnight, Page."

He flashed her a grin and vanished down the corridor. When Maleah shut the door, her forehead creased in confusion. What in the name of the Goddess was that boy doing? Cythera and Gary watched her walk, trance-like, into her room and listened to the door shut. Together, they looked to Niema, who shrugged.

"I en't know," Niema told them. "She en't talk to me since she been studying with the Baroness."

* * *

The next morning, Maleah awoke with the sun. The rising of the sun seemed to strike a chord within her, almost as if a string on a lap harp had been plucked. Shivering, she realized that she heard it almost everyday of her life, though never this loudly. As she rolled out of bed, she looked out the window over the snowy yards and could see, off in the distance, the knights-in-training. At least, she thought it was--it could have very well been the King's Own or the Queen's Riders.

As Niema helped bathe and dress her, Maleah seemed disconnected with the world. In her mind, she kept replaying the events of the previous evening. That Connell boy. What an odd boy he was, Maleah thought, as Niema selected a dark green velveteen dress for her to wear. Niema pulled a thin cotton slip over the girl's head, followed by a light woolen petticoat, another white silk slip, then the emerald dress. In her hair, Niema wove green and purple glass beads and tied her hair back with a white ribbon before pulling stockings on the girl's legs and tying her worn leather shoes upon her feet. When Maleah looked into the mirror, she gasped.

The green of the dress made Maleah's eyes seem vividly bright and added a delicate, almost porcelain quality to her skin. Her fiery hair pulled back from her face and weighted by the glass beads gave her slim face a new definition, and she thought that nobody would recognize her as kin to the Lioness, much less Lord Thom. "Thank you," she whispered to Niema.

"Yer welcome, child. Now git, ye've got some studies to finish."

* * *

When Maleah had finished her studies--Gary made her read a chapter a day out of one of the many Tortallan history tomes and learn basic mathematics, while Cythera helped her work with her handwriting, and another half-hour of meditation thanks to Alanna--she snuck out of the Naxen chambers, out of Niema's sight, and hurried down to the training courts for the pages. She had been thinking about Connell all morning and had decided he was a decent fellow after all, considering he hadn't betrayed her evening excursion to anyone it would matter to and had escorted her home.

Shyly, Maleah peered into the wide door that opened into the training courts, scanning the boys for the one she sought. She finally found him, practicing his swordplay with one of the boys from the previous evening. Airen, she remembered.

Airen was clearly the superior swordsman, disarming Connell repeatedly in a series of maneuvers that Maleah could hardly see. She gave a soft cry when Airen knocked Connell onto the floor, and her feminine voice carried over the court further than she had anticipated. Blushing deeply, she pressed herself against the wall, out of sight, as the boys turned to look at the door.

Smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand, Connell had recognized the retreating form. He'd noticed her when she first peeked into the door. Luckily, they'd be finishing early today, as most of the squires they were training with would be returning to their knight masters soon. The swordsmaster was to be needed elsewhere, and he warned the pages that they'd best not get used to being let out early.

Another half-hour passed before they were released and Connell made quick work of scrubbing his sweat-soaked face and arms and changing his damaged shirt. "You really need to work on your defense," Airen advised as the group changed and prepared for a free afternoon. He was a squire now. "You also need to learn to focus on what you're doing. Something was distracting you big time out there, I never disarm you that fast."

Connell waved it off. "I know. It could get me killed. I've heard Sir Geoffrey's lecture on it fifty-three times." As he dragged a hand through his damp hair, he flashed a cheeky grin at Airen, his tall, towheaded companion. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've some work to do."

Darting from the washroom, Connell closed his eyes and sank into the blue-green depths of his magic. Although his Gift primarily dealt with water and healing, he found that his extrasensory perception bounced like a reflection from Maleah's Gift. In a matter of moments, he knew she still crouched outside of the practice court's door. With a confident smile, he strode to the entrance and touched the back of her neck through her hair.

"Fancy meeting you here," he commented to her.

She jumped and looked up at him. "How...?"

"Doesn't matter," he said with a grin. "Although, I have to say, I really wasn't expecting to see you again. What are you doing?"

When he offered her a hand to get up, she took it and blushed. "I...I can leave..."

He peered at her and shook his head, offering his arm to her as he had the previous night. "You never seem to answer a question directly, Lady Maleah. Why is that?"

Her blush deepened as he guided her through the palace. It was nearly three in the afternoon and the palace was lively with daily chores and people moving to and fro. On the way to the pages' wing, the pair passed Numair and a young woman, both of whom offered them a smile. Numair gave a short wave, which Maleah returned shyly.

"Friends of yours?" Connell asked, easily filling the silence with his own chatter. "Numair Salmalin and Daine Sarrasri. Good people to be friends with, I'd imagine, seeing as they're both the most powerful mages in all of Tortall in their fields. You have it made, fair maiden: cousin to King Jonathan, daughter of the Prime Minister of Tortall and the Social Secretary to her Majesty, niece of the Lioness, friends with Master Salmalin and the Wild Mage. Good grief, it's enough to fill a man with awe and fear."

"It isn't as glamorous as you would think," Maleah murmured, disliking her family tree paraded in front of her. "Uncle Gary and Aunt Cythera only adopted me because the convent in the City of the Gods won't send me back to Court as an orphan."

Realizing he'd hit a tender mark, Connell changed the subject. "How do you know Master Salmalin?"

"He tutors me sometimes," she admitted.

Shaking his head in a measure of disbelief, Connell fell silent himself, pondering over everything he had just been told. He liked this young lady, despite her prickly outside and unpredictable nature. Before he knew it, he had brought them to his room in the pages' quarters. "Hm," he said, finally. "Well, would you like to come in?"

Maleah's eyes widened.

Shrugging, Connell inserted his key into the lock and said, "Suit yourself."

He disappeared behind the door.

Just when Maleah had thought she had him figured out, he did something strange like this. Her shoulders fell and she frowned, trying to decide if she should knock when the door opened.

"Don't just stand there," he told her. "It's just me in here."

"But...it isn't...proper," she said lamely.

Rolling his eyes, he took her gently by the elbow and commented, "You get hung up on the weirdest things."


	3. Winter 450

_Author's notes: Thanks especially to those of you who have taken the time to review or add me to your story alerts!  
_

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_Winter 450_

_January 31, 450_

Over the course of the next two weeks, Connell of Foxtrail Creek and Maleah of Naxen became inseperable. She would often be found waiting for him outside of the page's classrooms and walking with him to his next class, or watching him and the other pages train. In the evening, when the horses were stabled, Maleah would wait for him on bales of hay situated in each stall, or would occasionally help him rub down his mount--a playful, proud stallion the color of the midnight sky with a white muzzle and gray mane and tail, that Connell had dubbed Joker. At night, Maleah would help him with his homework, correcting his spelling or helping him find answers buried in scrolls or books.

The morning of the final day of January, Connell came skidding to a halt in front of the Naxen's doors, beating hurriedly upon them. When Niema opened the door, he breezed past her and let himself into Maleah's room to find her writing in her diary.

She raised a hand absently in greeting, putting the finishing thoughts into her diary before springing off of her chair. "Why aren't you in class?"

He placed a fist over his heart and bowed slightly. "My Lord gave me the day off, Maleah. The _day_! My instructors say there's been a marked improvement in my grades lately. Mithros, girl, I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave for the convent next week."

"You could come with me," she blurted.

"I can't," he replied. "I'm the eldest son."

Nodding, Maleah tried to mask her disappointment. "What did you want to do with your day off?"

He flopped onto her bed with a sigh. "Hadn't thought that far, really. I just heard the news and came straight here."

She joined him on the bed, lying next to him. A comfortable, amiable silence settled over them, and Maleah had thought he had fallen asleep when he finally said, "I've an idea. C'mon. It involves you talking to your friend, Master Salmalin."

Numair was hardly her _friend_ as much as a tutor, she thought, but neglected to say so. Instead, she was pulled to her feet and ushered out of the door with a wave to Niema. "Where would our Master Mage be hiding at this time of day, fair maiden?" Connell asked.

"Um," was Maleah's ingenious reply.

"Come now, think. It's important."

"Um, probably with cousin Jonathan or in his chambers..."

"Excellent."

As they walked, Connell steered her first to the royal audience hall and gave Maleah a shove. She gave him a sharp frown and let herself into the audience hall, dashing quickly across its length to the maze of offices that branched from its posterior. Thankfully Gary's office was empty, so she didn't have to dawdle and say hello to him, but the rest of the offices were conspicuously empty as well. That meant only one thing--Jon and Thayet had called a meeting.

Which meant Numair was probably there.

At last, she found herself in front of Jon's favorite conference room and gave a soft knock. The chatter inside stopped immediately as the King's voice echoed, "Enter."

Maleah closed her eyes, said a short prayer to the Goddess, and pushed the door open ever so gently. "I...I'm sorry to interrupt, your Majesties..." she began, turning red under the stares of her family and their friends. Numair sat at the end of the table, closest to her. "But...um...I need to speak to um...Numair, please..."

Raising an eyebrow, Jon considered his tiny second cousin a moment and waved a hand. "Go, Numair."

"I'll be right back," Numair assured him, unfolding his considerable length from the chair and joining Maleah in the hallway. "What do you need, Lady Maleah?"

"Um..." she said softly, wringing her hands. She didn't know! This was Connell's idea...

"Pardon me, Master Salmalin," said a voice from behind her. Connell! "I had Lady Maleah summon you. You see, I figured you would be the best person to ask--I need two small crystals, and I'm willing to pay you whatever you want for them."

Fishing in the pocket of his robe, Numair produced two slim crystals, each about the size of a noble coin, and dropped them into Maleah's hands. "I don't know what you two are planning," he admitted, "but try to do it in one of the sorcery libraries--they're spelled to sustain intense damage, should something go awry. I'm needed inside."

And Numair disappeared back into the conference room.

Questioningly, Maleah looked at Connell and handed him the crystals.

"Perfect," he murmured, and put a hand on Maleah's back, guiding her back through the offices to the audience hall and back out into the palace corridors. "Let's see...sorcery library..."

"I know of one," Maleah told him. "Numair tutors me in one. Follow me."

They were quiet along the journey to the library. When they reached the library in consideration, Maleah opened the door and led him to the secluded corner in which she learned from Numair. Connell nodded his approval and said, "Dim the lights a little?"

Doing as he asked, Maleah watched him intently. It took her a few moments of concentration to simply dim them, rather than snuffing the light completely, but when she finished, she tilted her head at him. Connell nodded in approval and said, "Okay. I hope this works--we were taught to do this a few weeks ago, told it was a new technique the mages in the King's Own and the Queen's Riders were developing."

Maleah's brow furrowed in apprehension as she backed away from him a bit.

"Really, Maleah, I think you'd trust me by now," he said dryly.

Now one copper eyebrow raised at him.

"Bah," he muttered, waving his hand at her dismissively.

Maleah stuck her tongue out at him in rebellion and grinned smugly to herself, thankful for the dimmed lights.

Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Connell picked up one of the crystals that now sat on the table and cupped it in his hands. Slowly, a trickle of aquamarine filled the crystal's interior like water to a pond, until it glowed with its shades of blue and green. The light cast hued shadows over the shelves of the library, making the books seem even older and more foreboding than they were.

"Is that a glowstone?" Maleah asked.

"No," he replied. "It's the same spell I would use with a fire to talk to someone over a great distance, except it's contained in the crystal. It's a...what did he call it...amplifier for the Gift, and it stores a great deal of power. Really, anyone with a powerful enough Gift should be able to cast the spell."

"Even me?" the girl wanted to know.

"Even you," he said, ruffling her hair. "Now, you need to put a bit of your Gift into the other crystal, but leave some room. While you're doing that, just think really, really hard about being able to talk to me here in Corus from the City of the Gods."

Doing as Connell had done, Maleah held the empty crystal in her palms and eased a bit of her magic into it, thinking fervently about being able to talk with her friend over the distance between the City and Corus. When she was finished, the crystal swirled with corruscating saffron light. She nodded and looked to the brunet boy for further instruction.

"Our instructor said we could make it a sort of private spell if the people we chose to share it with put a bit of their Gifts into it as well. I don't know if you want to do that, since it would mean that the only people we could talk to with the crystals would be the other but--"

Maleah had already thrust her crystal at Connell, pressing it to his chest over his heart.

With a grin, he took the crystal from her and gave his to her. "Okay. You just need a tiny bit of your Gift mixed in with mine."

In a matter of moments, Maleah had threaded a slender strand of her Gift into the aquamarine medallion in her hand. The result was the shimmer of the sunlight from the surface of the ocean, and it was mesmerizing. As Connell's magic intermingled with hers in her crystal, it took on the appearance of a spring shower at the height of midday.

"That's interesting," Connell commented. "It's really very intriguing to see the patterns the mixing of Gifts yield, you know. One of my year-mates has fire magic, and he mixed it with someone else's in my class who had the Sight, and he kept seeing pictures in his."

Maleah held her crystal to her chest, covering it with both hands as she breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't wanted to be separated from her new friend, and this way, they would be able to keep in touch.

"Come on," he said suddenly. "We need to find some chains for these."

* * *

Once the meeting had dispersed, Gary went to the quarters he shared with his wife and daughter and flopped down in his favorite chair before the fireplace. Luckily, Niema spelled the common room with heat to keep the chill at bay, but the rest of the castle did not have such strong spells in place. Cythera sat next to him and rested her head upon his shoulder, a simple gesture of her affection for her husband, and closed her eyes.

His arm wound around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze, nuzzling the top of her head. "Long day," he commented.

"Long day," she agreed.

"Where's the young one?" he murmured.

Cythera pointed in the direction of the girl's room. "That boy is in there with her."

Stiffening, Gary looked over at Maleah's door. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "With the _door_ closed?"

Rolling her eyes, Cythera playfully hit his chest. "She's ten, Gary. He's only a little bit older. Neither of them are thinking about what adults do behind closed doors."

Grumbling to himself, Gary relaxed marginally and stared into the fire at the hearth.

"Oh Gary," Cythera sighed. "It's almost curfew, anyway. Would you like to rouse Connell from her room?"

Gary was up in a flash and at the door even faster. He knocked only briefly and nearly slammed the door from its hinges with the force he opened it. "Page," he said.

Instantly, Connell was saluting Sir Gareth of Naxen. "Yes, sir."

"It's almost time for curfew," he told the boy gruffly. "Get your things and get back to your quarters."

"Yes, sir," Connell answered. When Gary turned his back and stalked back to his chair, Connell flashed Maleah an apologetic smile and touched the medallion beneath his tunic with a wink. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lady Maleah."

Maleah sprang to her feet and walked Connell to the door. "Bye," she told him softly, touching her medallion as well. Hers hung on a braided gold chain, while his hung on a slim silver cord. He winked and waved goodbye, calling a farewell to Cythera and Gary, and left.

Sighing, Maleah trudged back towards her room.

"What did you and the young man of Foxtrail Creek do today?" Cythera asked, turning from her position on the arm of Gary's chair to look at her daughter.

Her hand still clasped around the medallion, Maleah bit her lip and was quiet while she thought. "We practiced magic," she said at last.

With a small smile, Cythera held her hand out to Maleah. "May I see whatever you're holding?"

Releasing the crystal, Maleah let the medallion hang from her neck.

Cythera reached out and lifted it gently, inspecting it. "And what is this for, little one?"

"So Connell and I don't lose touch," Maleah explained, not really liking Cythera's fingers all over her keepsake. "It will let us talk from here and the City."

Shaking her head, Cythera released the medallion. "No talking after lights out, dear one."

Crossing her fingers behind her back, Maleah nodded and went back to her room. The crystal pulsed once with aquamarine, the code that Connell and she had decided upon to ensure the other had time to talk. "I can talk," she said, holding the medallion in her palms as she sat upon the bed.

"Good," Connell's voice floated over the link. "I'm glad these work, Maleah. To be honest, I wasn't sure they would."

Maleah admired Connell's honesty. "Me either," she confessed.

The young lady and the young knight-to-be talked well past curfew, only stopped by Maleah's dozing off.

_A tornado ripped through the streets of the marketplace, tearing the walls down of every building in its path. A jagged bolt of lightning descended upon the palace, setting the training fields ablaze and ferociously eating every green plant and living being in its path. Flames licked along the stone walls of the castle, melting them with their intense heat. Suddenly, the world went deathly silent, and everything fell cold and sprouted a layer of frost. In the middle of it all stood a naked man of about eighteen and a naked woman slightly younger, kept apart by a two-foot layer of unnaturally transparent ice. Overhead, a strange being with a human head and chest and a bird's body made of metal screeched, shattering the ice. The next moment, the naked boy was dead, and the strange human-bird landed next to him, giving a victorious cry. Even in the frigid cold, the stench of raw, hot death clung in the air around him. "You're next, girlie," the bird-man cawed._

Maleah bolted up in bed, covering her face in her hands. The scent of her dream clung to her nostrils, and she knew this was another one of her prophetic dreams. But who would believe her about a metal bird-man?

* * *

_February 1, 450_

"Good news, 'Leah," Gary said the next morning. "I just received a letter from the First Daughter of the convent in the City, and they're wanting you to arrive at the convent a week earlier than we had discussed. You'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" she cried.

"Tomorrow," Gary confirmed.

Her shoulders fell and she went to her room, sulking. She sent a flare through the medallion to its mate, twice for urgent. It was just before the pages' first lessons of the day would begin.

"What's wrong?" Connell asked immediately. "Lessons start in a moment."

"I'm leaving tomorrow," she said softly.

There was silence. Then, "Tomorrow?!"

"Yes."

"Mithros above. You've got to be kidding me. You weren't supposed to leave until next week."

"I know."

"When did you find out, just now? You better have found out just now or I shall have to be vexed with you, Maleah. Did you?"

"Yes."

"Sweet Mother, this is ridiculous. _Tomorrow_? You're absolutely certain?"

"I am..."

"I'm going to get palace restriction until I'm a squire for this."

The medallion in Maleah's hand went dark.

A few moments later, Connell let himself in to the Naxen quarters, flashed Gary an apologetic grin, and rushed into Maleah's room. "Tomorrow? Why in the name of Mithros would you be leaving tomorrow!"

Maleah was touched by his concern and distress, but instead, she commented on his appearance in her room. "You really shouldn't be here. Your instructors are going to be really angry."

"I don't care," he said truthfully. He sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her. "Tomorrow?" he whispered, his deep brown eyes pleading.

"Don't look at me like that," Maleah whispered back, her amethyst eyes welling up with tears. Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and held tightly onto him.

Almost uncertainly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, feeling her tears on his shoulder. It broke his heart to feel her cry without any indication but the wetness on his tunic. Trying to comfort her, he brushed the back of her hair with the palm of his hand, closing his eyes and focusing his Gift into calming her nerves.

"Cheater," she murmured to him, feeling his magic seep into the crevices of her distraught emotions.

"Worked though, didn't it?" he replied easily, releasing her.

She let go of him and sat next to him on the bed. "I had a dream last night," she said after a pause to let the bell outside ring the hour. Connell was officially late to his earliest class.

"A dream or...a _Dream_?" Connell asked.

"A _Dream_," Maleah clarified. She quickly recounted the events of the dream to him and watched his face crease in worry. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you dreaming about Stormwings?" he wondered aloud. "Let alone, dreaming about Stormwings that are vowing to get _you_."

"What's a 'Stormwing?'" Maleah wanted to know, confused.

He looked at her and his eyebrows went into his hair. "I would imagine you'd know all about them, between your father and Numair and Alanna. They're the metal bird-people in your dream. Sometimes I wish you had normal Sight, Maleah. These puzzle dreams make me cross."

"I'll let my Gift know you're displeased," she snapped tartly.

Connell rolled his eyes and waved a hand at her. He was used to her moments of spoiled behavior. "We have to go tell someone about your dream, Maleah. Knowing cousin Raoul, he'll want to put a few of the King's Own on you and Niema when you head for the City."

"Who, though?"

"Well, _he_ would be a good start." Connell grinned sheepishly at Gary, who was standing in the doorway and had heard everything.

Gary joined the two young children on the bed. "Dreaming about Stormwings now," Gary commented. "That's not a good sign."

"I...the boy and the girl in the dream..." Maleah started, and frowned. Usually she knew if it was her in a dream, but the woman was blond. She had purple eyes like her, but she had hair as golden as the sun, and was much older. Now Maleah was well and truly confused. "The girl...she might have been me...but she was older."

Maleah knew the boy was Connell, and that scared her to death.

"The man was me," Connell said softly, watching Maleah. When her eyes met him, that was all the confirmation he needed. "So I have to worry about dropping dead to a Stormwing. Fabulous."

"Let's go tell Jon about this one," Gary spoke, reaching to help Maleah to her feet. "Just this once, Connell, I'll get you out of the class you're missing."

"Understood, sir," Connell answered politely.

Together, they made their way to the royal suite of rooms and Gary knocked on the door, motioning for Maleah and Connell to remain quiet. A servant answered the door and let the group inside, requesting that they remain at the door until Jon was alerted. It only took a few moments for Jon to round the corner, pulling a shirt over his head and running a hand through his messy hair. Apparently, he was running late this morning. "Morning, Jon. Sleep well?" Gary asked dryly.

"And we'd thought you had outgrown that sarcastic stage, Gary," Jon retorted. "Although, I guess it'd be hard for you to outgrow anything, short as you are."

"You wound me," Gary replied, who wasn't short at all. Behind him, the young page and the soon-to-be lady-in-training stared in unabashed awe at the banter exchanged by the cousins who were close enough to be brothers. "All joking aside, Maleah had another dream last night. I think you ought to know about this one; it involves Stormwings."

Jonathan, King of Tortall, turned his vivid sapphire gaze upon his second cousin. "You dreamt of Stormwings?"

Maleah nodded, suddenly shy again. She hid herself halfway behind Connell.

Frowning, Jonathan eyed Connell. "You must be Raoul's cousin," he said. "What did he say your name was...Connell, is it?"

Straightening to his full height, Connell then bowed to Jonathan. "Indeed, your Majesty. Connell of Foxtrail Creek, a humble page in your service."

Maleah couldn't keep the small bubble of laughter from escaping her. Connell, humble? Modest, maybe; confident, certainly; but _humble_?

"Your Majesty," Maleah said softly, "don't let Connell fool you. He's hardly humble."

"It's Jon to family, Maleah." Jonathan motioned for Gary, Connell, and Maleah to follow him into the next room. "Why isn't this young man in class, Gary?"

"Long story," Gary replied. "'Leah, tell Jon about your dream, please."

Sighing inwardly, Maleah fidgeted with her skirt and looked at the ground. At last, she took a breath and once again retold the story of her dream, having twisted the skirt of her dress enough to reveal the winter petticoats beneath. Absently, Gary pushed her hands out of the way and smoothed the fabric back down, then patted her approvingly upon the head.

"What do you think?" Gary asked when she'd finished speaking.

"Sounds to me like we haven't seen the worst of the winter yet," Jonathan murmured. "Probably in for a rough spring, too. Mithros, this isn't what we need right now."

Eyebrows in his hair, Connell looked to Maleah to express his surprise at the king using the Sun God's name in vain. She shrugged her petite shoulders and leaned against Gary's side.

"And the Stormwing?" Gary pressed.

"I'll see if Thayet or Raoul can spare a couple of soldiers to escort the young lady of Naxen to the City. It would pain me to lose another family member at such a young age." Jonathan frowned and touched Maleah's head. "Especially one that's so special."

Blushing, Maleah turned her face from the king and looked at Connell, who gave her a cheeky grin that displayed his amusement at how quickly she could be discomforted. She made a face at him while the adults talked.

"...help that Alanna keeps encountering those--what did Numair say they were, hurroks? The winged horses with claws. I've had a couple of reports from around Fief Aili..."

Shaking her head, Maleah tugged on Gary's arm. "May I be excused?" she asked softly.

"No."

She frowned and pouted slightly.

"If he wants to be excused, too, he'll be going back to class, not home with us."

Her shoulders dropped, then. "But this is the last day..."

"Last day?" Jon wanted to know.

"She's going to the convent in the City tomorrow," Gary explained quickly.

Turning to Maleah, Connell gave her a half-smile. "Let's just stay here for now, Maleah."

"You, boy," Jonathan said. Connell snapped to attention. "It's unwise for Maleah to wander unguarded today, wouldn't you say, Gary?" Nodding vigorously, Connell and Maleah looked almost comical. Scowling, Gary glared at Jonathan. "Page Connell, you have the duty of protecting my cousin for the remainder of the day. You aren't to leave her side. Understood?"

"Jon!" Gary protested.

"Yes, sir!" Connell agreed with a grin. Before the king could change his mind, he took Maleah by the elbow and steered her out of the royal suite. Before the door could close entirely, they could hear Gary complaining to Jon about his decision to let "that boy" out of his studies to "guard" _his_ daughter.

"I daresay I like his Majesty," Connell commented.

* * *

The seventh evening bell sounded. Lying on his bed in the pages' quarters, Connell and Maleah said nothing. There was nothing left to say that either were willing to voice. "I'll miss you" sounded trite, "hurry back" was just impossible, "keep safe" the King and the Prime Minister would ensure. Instead, they stared at his ceiling.

"Wonder how much extra work I'll have to complete. This is two days of lessons I've missed," Connell said at last.

"Without me to help, too," Maleah teased.

"Oh bah," he said to her. "You'll still help me. That's why we made these!" He tapped the crystal resting on his chest. Flashing her a grin, he added, "Didn't think it was because I'd _miss_ you, did you?"

Retribution came swift and hard in the form of Maleah's fist making contact with his head. "Sometimes, I don't know why we're friends," she muttered.

A friendly but heavy silence settled back over the ten-year-old and her thirteen-year-old companion. As Maleah stared at the ceiling again, she forced herself to keep her eyes wide and unblinking, trying to keep the unhappy tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks at bay.

"We'll talk everyday?" she whispered.

"Everyday," Connell assured her.

The silence came back, punctuated only by their breathing. Connell had not brought a servant of his own to tend to his needs at the palace, as Sir Raoul had assured his parents that the palace had plenty of staff for just such purposes. The room that adjoined his was conspicuously empty for just that reason.

A knock at the door finally stirred the enveloping quiet, and Connell propped himself up on his elbows. "It's open."

The door swung open as Airen and two of the other boys Maleah had first seen with Connel let themselves into the room. Connell grinned at them and said, "Hello, men."

"I told you he was leaving us for a girl," said one of the boys behind Airen.

The other boy dug in his coin purse and handed him a couple of silver coins, while Airen eyed Maleah and Connell with suspicion.

"Come on, Airen, pay up. I won the bet," the boy insisted.

"Fine, Bellen," Airen muttered, procuring a pair of silver nobles from his belt purse and giving it to the boy named Bellen. "Really, Conn, you could have forsook us for someone a little older."

"Well then," Connell interjected. "Before my rude friends make even bigger fools out of themselves, I'll introduce Airen of Chamblin, Squire in service to Sir Canlige of Quentley. The fellow who won the best is Bellen of Emerley, a yearmate of mine, and the other is Reming of Asche, also another yearmate." Surveying them suspiciously, Connell spoke again. "This seems like an intervention, but I would have anticipated Zander and Lars to be here, too."

Airen, Bellen, and Reming all looked slightly guilty.

"I knew it," Connell commented. "Zander and Lars must be too busy with squiredom for us tonight. Gentlemen, in order to enlighten your misguided intervention, allow me to present Lady Maleah of Naxen, who begins her journey to the City of the Gods in the morning."

Maleah rose to her feet and curtseyed to the boys. Immediately, they returned the gesture out of habit, and made varied apologetic sounds.

Grinning in amusement, Connell sat up and patted the bed next to him as Maleah took her seat again.

"Where have you been the past couple of days?" Reming asked. He was pale of skin and light of hair and eyes, gangly at his thirteen with a voice cracking with puberty. "The instructors were pretty upset until Mathematics."

The grin adorning Connell's face grew bigger and more self-satisfied. "His Majesty gave me the day off to play escort for Lady Maleah here."

The corner of Airen's mouth twitched as he fought not to say something. Connell shot him a withering glare that wiped the twitch away.

"Yesterday, I was relieved of my duties for 'exemplary academic performance,'" he continued. "Thanks to Lady Maleah, that is."

Curious, Bellen leaned in to get a closer look at Maleah, as if she were on display. Immediately, she leaned away from him and frowned. "You don't look like much," Bellen commented. "Are you our age?"

"Connell," Maleah murmured. "None of your friends have manners."

"I know. Bothersome, isn't it?" he answered.

The eighth evening bell tolled outside. "Curfew," Reming groaned. "Time to go, Bellen. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Maleah, and good luck at the convent. See you tomorrow, Conn."

Reming dragged Bellen out of Connell's room, leaving Airen to watch his friend and Maleah with his pale green eyes. "So, you'll be leaving for the convent tomorrow?"

Connell coughed softly. "Airen, it _is_ curfew for us lowly pages. You know that means you need to leave, and I have to walk Lady Maleah back to her chambers."

"I know," Airen said and shook his head. "See you tomorrow, Connell. Safe journeys, Lady Maleah." And he left.

Taking Maleah by the arm, Connell escorted her out of the room and began their slow, plodding return to her chambers. All too soon, they reached her door, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything or moved a muscle.

Then, quite suddenly, Connell hugged her as tightly as he could to him. The little fire-headed sprite had grown to mean more to him than he had anticipated, and he hated goodbyes. He kept telling himself it would only be for a couple of years, and as a squire he would have more freedom to make an occasional trip to the City to visit, and he had to focus on becoming a knight, anyway. His allegiance belonged to king and kingdom.

The door opened to reveal Cythera. With a sad smile, she let Connell and Maleah continue to embrace for a few moments longer and finally touched the young man on the shoulder. "It's time," she said softly. Just when Maleah had made a friend, she was being uprooted and replanted in a new place. "I'll have Gary walk you back to the pages' wing so you don't encounter any trouble."

"Thank you, your Grace," he replied in subdued tones, releasing Maleah and watching her retreat inside. It took only a few seconds for Gary to arrive at the door and give Connell a small shove on the back to get him moving.

* * *

The following morning passed in a blur. Maleah's things had been packed with a brutal and speedy efficiency that made part of her go cold, as if it had simply confirmed that Gary and Cythera wanted her out from under their feet after all. Her nanny, Niema, and she would be riding in a carriage driven by one of the most able members of the King's Own and an additional man to bring up the rear. The carriage driver went by the name Wilson, why the horseback man went by the name Micah.

Pulling her fur-lined cloak over her head and tighter around her, she turned her back to the assembled people. Closing her eyes, Maleah sent a slow, almost hesitant pulse of yellow to her medallion's twin and waited for the answer.

In answer, her medallion sparkled with brilliant aquamarine for a full minute before slowly fading. She could almost hear Connell in her mind, telling her that she would return home to Court in no time, and to stop being so silly about worrying. Everything would be fine.

"'Leah," said Gary from the carriage door.

Putting on a brave smile, Maleah gave her medallion a squeeze, feeling the soothing stir of her magic mingled with Connell's against her hand. She took a deep breath and turned to face her mother and father.

Gary and Cythera swept the girl up in their arms, each whispering their own words of encouragement and messages of love before helping her into the carriage. The last to take her spot was Niema, seated across from Maleah, who wanted to watch out the window until Corus was nothing but a speck in the distance. Quickly, Micah called up to Wilson that he was ready to go, and Wilson bade farewell to the Duke and Duchess of Naxen, promising to keep the young lady safe.

Sticking her mittened hand out of the window, Maleah waved at Cythera and Gary until she could no longer see them, her last image of her surrogate mother that of her turning to Gary and burying her face in his chest.


	4. Journey to the City of the Gods

_Author's notes: I had fun writing this chapter. Chapter Five promises to be fun, too!_

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_Journey to the City of the Gods_

_February 2, 450_

At the height of boredom, Maleah placed her chin in her palm and watched the countryside roll past. She had taken this journey many, many times over the last five years with Gary and Cythera in tow. The first stop on the journey to the City would be at Fief Naxen to see her adoptive grandmother, then they would cut slightly northwest toward the Great Road to stop at Elden so she could see her grandfather and her aunts and uncle and cousins. Then they would follow the Great Road past Fiefs Dunlath and Aili to the City of the Gods, where she would be admitted to the convent by the First Daughter.

Idly, she traced nonsensical patterns upon her exposed crystal medallion, wishing that Connell was a squire and could have made the journey with her. The talk of immortals attacking passersby made her timid and wary, fervently hoping that they wouldn't have the opportunity to encounter such creatures, but her dream made her think otherwise.

When the carriage stopped so the party could relieve themselves, stretch, and embark on another half-day's worth of traveling, Maleah took a moment to examine Wilson and Micah. The family resemblence lie in their hooked, almost beak-like noses, and Maleah could tell they were brothers from the easy way they spoke to one another. Micah was a little taller than Wilson with brown hair like that of an oak tree with matching brown eyes, and a narrow jaw to give his face an almost bird-like appearance, and he clearly preferred the color red--he wore it underneath all of his King's Own apparrel. Wilson had white-blond hair with brown eyes like honey and cinnamon, and he smiled easily. His facial build was a bit sturdier with broader shoulders, and he wore brown like his eyes.

Maleah had a strange flash of her Sight, clearer than it had ever been. _Wilson lunged at a Stormwing, sword flailing almost wildly, as Micah taunted the other. Mountain greenery blocked much of her vision with a soft film of orange covering her--Niema's magic, her shield. Niema was nowhere in sight. The Stormwing Wilson battled fell as he ran to help his brother, only to fall moments later to the creature's savage nature. Micah fell next, and the Stormwing turned towards Niema and Maleah, cackling. "You're next, girlie!" When he darted forward, a flash of orange trimmed in brilliant white enveloped the Stormwing, who fell to the ground in a twisted heap of charred flesh and crumpled metal. Niema lay on the ground, drained of her life force in protecting Maleah, just as Micah and Wilson had given their lives._

Shaking her head, Maleah swayed and staggered to the carriage, slamming against the door before her wits returned to her. That had been the clearest vision she had ever Seen.

"Lady Maleah! Are ye well?" Niema asked, her voice flooded with concern as she hurried to Maleah's side.

It took her a moment to answer before she said, "I had a vision. It isn't safe. We must turn back to Corus at once."

"Impossible, Lady Maleah," Niema answered with a touch of sadness. "Yer parents, they gave t'me stric' orders. I'm t'take ye t'the City no matter yer orders t'the contrary."

"But it isn't safe," Maleah protested. "My vision--you and Micah and Wilson--a pair of Stormwings attack us and all three of you die." Gripping the skirt of her dress, Maleah looked up at her nanny with pleading eyes. "It isn't safe," she stressed.

Gently touching the young lady's back, Niema helped her into the carriage, despite her struggles otherwise. "We both know ye've only got dream Sight, Lady Maleah."

"I know what I _saw_!" Maleah cried in outrage, struggling to lean out the window to yell to Wilson.

"Fergive me, Lady Maleah," Niema said softly. Maleah turned to glare at her nanny and felt Niema's fingers at her forehead, saw a spark of orange, and was suddenly very drowsy.

"Niema..." Maleah whispered, before falling into slumber.

* * *

  
_February 7, 450_

Despite Maleah's continued protests and experience of the vision twice more, Niema kept her sleeping for the majority of the ride to Lake Naxen. When they reached the fief, Niema decided to keep the child asleep as she had the courier who welcomed them deliver handwritten messages to Gary's mother and a smattering of other individuals who kept house at the duchy. At Naxen, Wilson and Micah were welcome to switch out horses to give their present beasts a rest, if only they would return the horses to the fief on the return trip.

Maleah stirred in the carriage, hearing the noise outside, and blearily opened an eye. She felt stiff and sore all over, and she knew the source was Niema's constant stream of magic flowing into her. Her nanny hadn't even let her stay awake long enough to talk to Connell for fear that she would tell him of her vision, and Gary would be angry with Niema.

Although she tried not to make any noise, Niema had seen Maleah stirring and set her back to sleep.

"I'm sorry, child," she whispered, "but it's fer yer own good."

* * *

  
_February 15, 450_

Niema had kept Maleah asleep throughout the visit at Elden, as well, performing the same service there as she had at Naxen. At last, they were on the Great Road, traveling towards the City of the Gods. Their party had thusly escaped any attackers so far, and she highly doubted any creature, immortal or not, would risk the wrath of the Gods by attacking so closely to the City. They were just passing through Dunlath Valley, when a wretched screeching overhead alerted Micah, Wilson, and Niema to danger.

Immediately, Micah swung his crossbow up into his hands, quickly prepared a bolt, and trained his eyes on the circling pair of Stormwings. They spat insults at the puny flesh-wrapped two-leggers below, swooping to and fro to feed off of the fear their very presence struck. At the front of the carriage, Wilson leapt from his seat and drew his sword, watching the Stormwings with battle-hardened practice.

"Niema," he said carefully, "take one of the horses and Lady Maleah and ride _as quickly as you can_ out of Dunlath Valley."

In an emergency tactic, Wilson turned his back on the Stormwings above, sliced at the tethers holding the horses to the carriage, and flung open the carriage door. As soon as he turned back to look at the metal bird-people in the sky, they had descended and were upon them.

Crossbow bolts bounced uselessly from the metal wings of the immortal creatures, the clash of steel upon steel rang clearly through the wooded area. Niema tried desperately to hold down terrified screams that threatened to bubble over, beginning to lose her concentration on the spell under which Maleah slept, and with shaking hands fumbled with the door on the opposite side of the carriage. "Goddess, grant me strength," Niema whispered fervently under her breath, over and over, until the door flung open.

Maleah stirred, waking with stiff muscles as Niema yanked her from the carriage.

"What--" Maleah started to ask, voice hoarse from lack of use, when Niema clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Not a word," Niema breathed in her ear, edging slowly along the back of the carriage.

When the carriage threatened to tip over, Niema threw Maleah into the nearby bushes and under the cover of the trees, rolling away from the tumbling vehicle. The horses, at that point, fled for their lives, allowing sheer terror to guide them.

When Maleah hit the ground, she rolled over a few times before managing to order her arms to stop herself. Still bleary-eyed, she found herself underneath a scratchy, clingy shrub, then saw a thin orange film encase her like a dome. Where was Niema? Where was _this_? Something seemed terribly familiar about the scene unfolding just a few short feet in front of her.

Concentrating, Maleah struggled for a few moments to extract herself from the bush, only managing to break a few twigs lose, tear her dress, and cut herself a few times. Leaves decorated her hair and sticks poked painfully into the back of her skull, waking her rather efficiently as she remembered where she had seen this before--she had Seen this several times over the last two weeks, and nobody would listen to her. Outrage fizzed through her veins, burning away the last of the sleep spell and pushing away any fear she may have felt. Reaching up to the orange shield around her, it flooded with pale yellow and shone as brightly as the sun past the leaf-doppled canopy and shattered.

With the shattering of the shield, the brush obscuring her blew away as well. The pines and bushes around her shook with the intensity of her Gift, swirling in an invisible, unnatural wind and becoming part of a column of wind that whirled around her.

Already, Micah and Wilson lie dead on the road, and Niema was trapped under the carriage. Maleah thought dimly that the Stormwing remaining must have toppled the carriage upon her nanny in surprise when the pine forest exploded just a few feet away.

"_Die_!" Maleah screamed, throwing the full power of her Gift behind the word.

Brilliant light the shining yellow of citrine crystals formed a burning corona around the Stormwing, who shrieked in agony, crying out desperately for the pain to stop. When the yellow began to fade, the Stormwing's corpse dropped to the ground, its steel wings blackened entirely as the putrescent stench of charred flesh filled the air.

On wobbling, uneasy legs, Maleah stumbled toward her nanny, who still lay under the carriage. The closer she came, the more of Niema she could see, and it wasn't good. The K'miri woman was bent at an odd angle, with one arm flung unnaturally behind her. Maleah dropped to her hands and knees, crawling when the effort of walking became too much, and realized that Niema's neck was broken. Niema's body lay still, without the familiar rise and fall of breath. Then, suddenly, stars danced in front of her eyes, and Maleah saw darkness.

When Maleah opened her eyes again, the sun had set behind the mountains. Her stomach growled, her throat begged desperately for water, but Maleah knew she had to check and see if Micah and Wilson had survived somehow. In her heart, she knew the Black God had claimed them, but she _needed_ to check. Pulling herself up with the carriage, carefully avoiding another glance at Niema's broken body, she edged around the side. The carriage was completely useless now, with broken wheels and axels, dented and torn walls, missing doors, torn seats...

Micah's blood pooled under him, cold and icy now, and Wilson had nearly been gutted. Thankful for the darkness covering that majority of that horrific image, Maleah sank against the carriage again, feeling the hard ground under her almost distantly. She put a hand to her chest and had a moment of disorientation.

Where was her crystal?

Reaching for the ball of magic that normally glowed within her, Maleah found only a small flicker, as though her hand had reached into a nearly empty barrel. Then, she remembered searing the Stormwing to his death and rolled over, dry-heaving onto the ground. Tears filled her eyes and began to roll silently down her cheeks until well past the end of the dry heaves. At last, Maleah pulled herself weakly to her feet again and guided herself along the carriage until she reached its rear, where her things had been stored. A knapsack that had been Micah's hung from the jagged edge of a broken wheel, which Maleah snatched at and greedily dug through it. A waterskin filled with water was tucked into a side pocket, rations into the main part. A spare fur-lined cloak big enough to fit a full-grown man was folded into it, along with more of Micah's extra belongings. Maleah took the cloak, wrapped it around herself to fend off the cold, eagerly drank from the waterskin until her parched throat could handle no more, and ate a handful of dried fruit.

Numair had told her during her few and brief lessons with him that cold water or salt water would amplify the power of her magic, if she could find it. This could be important, he warned, if she ever found herself alone, low on her Gift, and required magic. With a sigh, she removed her outer cloak again and laid it carefully over the broken wheel--it wouldn't do for her warm things to get cold--then removed her personal cloak and laid it upon Micah's. A chill sent gooseflesh rippling over her skin, and she felt her Gift warming slightly under her touch. Biting her lip, she decided to remove her shoes and roll down her stockings until she stood barefoot on the frozen ground.

Her Gift came racing back to her.

Alanna had told her that magic was nothing but the ability to exert her will. With enough of her Gift, she could literally do just about anything she had ever dreamt of. Lord Thom was posthumous proof: he had done the impossible by awakening a dead man from the Black God's realm. So it stood to reason that Maleah would be able to bring a piece of her magic back to her, despite the casing it was in, if only she tried hard enough.

Licking her cracking, dry lips, Maleah closed her eyes and pictured her crystal, with its pale yellow and thin introduction of aquamarine that looked like rain on a summer day on its golden chain, in her mind. She thought of one thing and one thing only: its return to her hands. A flare of yellow shone past her eyelids and she suddenly felt its familiar weight in her numbing hands.

She quickly yanked the necklace over her head and redressed herself, using what was left of her Gift to send a flash of warmth through herself to fend off the numbness in her hands and feet. Then, Maleah dug wearily through her trunk to find her blankets, climbed over the back of the carriage, dropped her blankets on the ground inside, and lowered herself down. She didn't even have the strength left to send a flash through her medallion to let Connell know she was alive, even though the thing had pulsed several times since its return to her person. The moment she fell on the soft, warm blankets, she was asleep.

* * *

  
"Hello?"

Maleah curled up tighter in her cramped space. The voice calling to her _had_ to be a hallucination. Connell wasn't here.

"Maleah? Are you there? Please tell me you're there."

Then she remembered her medallion. She opened her mouth to speak, found no sound came out, and reached for the waterskin she had found in Micah's pack. Taking a drink, she took a breath and said, "I'm here."

"Oh Gods." The relief in his voice was so audible and apparent that Maleah felt it clear across the distance between them. "Oh Gods, thank Mithros you're alive. Sweet Mother, I was so afraid you were dead. It's been two weeks since I heard from you."

"I know," she whispered, staring up from the bottom of the carriage. The sun shone overhead.

"What happened? Why didn't you answer when I tried to reach you?" Connell wanted to know.

"Niema..." she started, and had to stop. Not too far from her lay Niema's broken body under the carriage. "She spelled me. But--Connell, something terrible--"

She stopped, hearing noises from nearby. Leaves crunched under heavy feet, leaving Maleah frozen in fear under her cloaks. Quickly, she pulled Micah's cloak clear over her head and whispered to Connell, "Wait one second."

"Maleah, what's--"

She forced the pendant to go dark, silencing Connell.

"Holy Gods," said a female voice from nearby, clearly awed with an undertone of respect and slight fear. "What in the Black God's name happened here?"

"Clearly, these people met with Stormwings," commented another voice, male. "That one looks like it was killed by a sword, but that other one over there--"

The footsteps came closer, stopping at the burnt Stormwing.

There was a low sizzle, then it stopped. "What do you think, Hatch?"

"Someone or something with the Gift definitely killed it," the man named Hatch said. "Pretty powerful person, too, I'd say. Although, to be honest, I'm not really sure I know of anyone right now besides Numair Salmalin who has the capacity to perform such a feat."

The woman grunted softly. Light, purposeful footsteps came close to Maleah, who held her breath suddenly and prayed not to be noticed, and stopped at Niema. "Poor woman," she said softly. "May the Black God keep you, grandmother." The footsteps carried on, stopping at the rear of the carriage.

Maleah could hear Hatch walking around the other side of the carriage. She wished both of them could just go away so she could tell Connell what happened! She had no idea whether or not this Hatch person and his female companion were trustworthy or not! They could be Carthakis for all she knew!

"Hatch?"

"What?"

"Unless I'm mistaken, these clothes wouldn't fit that woman over there. If I had to take a guess, I'd say they belonged to a very small noble girl."

"Kaidie, they could have been on the way to Maura."

There was a rustle of clothes as Kaidie took some of Maleah's things and presumably showed them to Hatch. "Does this look like it'd fit Maura of Dunlath to you?"

Hatch was quiet for a moment. "No, I suppose not."

There was a few more moments of quiet, then Kaidie spoke again. "Maleah of Naxen, says the inscription."

Whistling, Hatch moved around near the carriage. "These men are from the King's Own, too. That woman must have been Maleah's nurse. That begs the question--where is Maleah?"

"We have to find her."

"We don't have to do any such thing."

"_Hatch_."

There was a brief pause. "Okay, fine. We have to find her."

"Provided she isn't dead somewhere--"

"I'll check over in that conspicuous clearing."

"I'll look around here, then, and start towards the lake. She could be anywhere--she could be hurt, alone, starving--or she could be dead. Look low, Hatch, and don't use your magic on whatever comes along. And for the love of the Green Lady, _don't scare her_."

"Rules, rules, rules."

Hatch's footsteps led away from the carriage and Kaidie remained stationary for a moment. She took another slow walk around the carriage, murmuring unintelligibly to herself as Maleah lie crouched under her cloak. Suddenly, there was a weight shift on the carriage and the light from above was completely blocked off. Maleah did her best to remain still, but a hand reached down and grabbed the cloak.

"Gotcha."

Maleah screamed.

Startled, the woman, Kaidie, nearly fell from the carriage. "You have some powerful lungs there, kitten. I don't aim to harm you, mind, but I won't appreciate going deaf for my efforts. Take my hand." Maleah just stared up at Kaidie, who she couldn't see in the darkness, backlit by the sun. "Come on. I don't aim to harm you, like I said. Take my hand." Finally, Maleah reached up and took Kaidie's hand in both of hers. "There's a good girl. Now use your legs--atta kitten." Kaidie helped her out of the carriage and onto the ground, handing her back Micah's cloak.

"What in the name of--" Hatch started, stopping short when he saw Kaidie and Maleah standing together. "Huh. You found it."

"Her," Kaidie corrected automatically, as though she had had to have this conversation with him several times. "Don't worry, kitten," she told Maleah, seeing her frightened expression. "Hatch may talk rough, but he won't hurt you neither."

Indignant, Hatch folded his long arms over his broad chest. He looked about seventeen with long strawberry blond hair tied behind his head in a horsetail, sporting one green eye and one blue eye. He had a square jaw, a button nose that looked almost out of place on him, a pale smattering of freckles, and he was _tall_. The only person Maleah had ever seen that was taller was Numair himself. "I could," he muttered.

"But you won't," Kaidie teased.

Hatch rolled his eyes and looked away, suddenly very interested in a protruding branch from a nearby tree.

"That's my brother, Hatchett," Kaidie explained. Now that Maleah looked, she could see the resemblance. Kaidie was slimmer in face, but still sturdily built. Her hair was a bit darker, lurking closer to auburn, though still clearly blond. Her eyes were a striking shade of blue close to indigo, surrounded by a darker ring of blue that reminded her of King Jonathan. She also looked a bit older, around nineteen. "My name is Kaidence Smith, although Hatch calls me Kaidie."

Maleah considered Kaidence for a full few moments before saying, "Maleah of Naxen..."

Kaidence smiled and patted Maleah on the head. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Maleah. What happened here?"

Tugging Micah's cloak over her head, Maleah crouched against her trunk. "Niema, Micah, and Wilson were taking me to the City to go to the convent and we were attacked by Stormwings, just like I Saw," she murmured bitterly.

Kaidence exchanged looks with Hatch and looked back to Maleah. "What happened to the burned up Stormwing, kitten?"

Hood still over her face, Maleah sighed with feeling. "I killed it because it killed Niema and Micah and Wilson."

"_You_ did that?" Hatch asked with incredulity. "Impossible."

Maleah sprang to her feet and glared coldly at Hatch from her place by the carriage. "You want me to prove it?"

Shaking her head, Kaidence shot a hard look at her brother and began to pick up the clean, unspoiled clothes from Maleah's trunk. "That won't be necessary, Lady Maleah. Hatch aims to get a rise out of people he thinks he can best magically. You see, Hatch just finished studying at the Carthaki university, and he hasn't quite gotten used to Tortallan women again."

"_Kaidie_," Hatch sounded exasperated.

"_Hatch_," Kaidence returned.

Maleah thought this brother and sister pairing was very strange and wasn't quite certain she cared for them. They seemed Tortallan, and Kaidence seemed nice enough, even if Hatch was a little off. Then she noticed Kaidence going through her things and frowned. "Um...what are you..."

With a kind smile, Kaidence took the knapsack Maleah had pilferred earlier, cleared out room in it for her clothes and gently set them inside. On top she laid the extra food and placed the waterskin back in its pocket, then handed the pack to Maleah. "Hatch and I will escort you the rest of the way to the City. Won't we, Hatch?"

Hatch looked put-out until Kaidence frowned at him. He sighed melodramatically and threw his hands up in the air, letting them fall limply to his sides. "I guess I've no choice in the matter."

"None at all, brother."

Maleah stood with her pack in her arms and stopped walking with Kaidence. Curious, Kaidence looked back at her. "How...do I trust you?"

"Hatch and I are from Fief Eldorne," Kaidence explained. "Now, mind, we're no relation to Delia, that traitor. Our ma makes clothes for them that still live there in the castle, and our pa shoes the horses in their stables. Pa's a smith."

"If it ameliorates your concerns at all," Hatch interrupted with a quick glance over his shoulder, "Kaidie is Shang."

"Ameli--what?" Kaidence repeated.

Rolling his eyes, Hatch shook his head. "Figure it out."

Irritated, Kaidence scowled. "That Gods-cursed university education..."

"You're Shang?" Maleah asked softly.

"Since I was five," Kaidence admitted.

"She's the Shang Pegasus," Hatch called over, from where their horses were tethered to a tree.

Awed, Maleah looked up at Kaidence with a new respect. It also inspired a sense of trust in her. Hatch she was still wary of, but Kaidence she trusted, and if Kaidence trusted Hatch, then she would trust Kaidence's judgment. The blond woman shifted her weight from foot to foot awkwardly, clearly not liking that Hatch had just divulged her identity to Maleah. "Okay," Maleah said softly. "You can take me to the City."

* * *

  
That night, Kaidence and Hatch set up camp for the three of them far outside of Dunlath, a day's ride away from the City of the Gods. Maleah had spent most of the day in the saddle with Kaidence, listening alternately between stories of Kaidence's training as a young Shang warrior and sibling bickering. Once they had finished eating, Hatch had drawn a protective circle over the camp, then planted himself firmly near the fire and began to meditate. Kaidence took the opportunity to meditate in her own fashion, practicing several Shang forms.

While they were distracted, Maleah went to the edge of the protective barrier and sat down behind one of the tents. Taking a breath, she lit up her medallion and sent a double pulse through it--urgent.

Connell answered immediately. "_Maleah_!" he shouted.

"Quiet down, you prat," she hissed.

"What do you _mean_, 'quiet down?!' How am I supposed to be quiet when I don't hear from you for two weeks, then you _cut me off_ when I finally hear from you?" Connell demaned.

She waited for him to get the yelling out of his system and said softly, "It's been a weird day, Connell. Just...sit and listen." Taking her time, she related Niema's spelling of her to keep her asleep, the tale of her party's demise, and her chance encounter with Kaidence Smith, the Shang Pegasus and Hatch Smith, the university-trained sorcerer. "They're escorting me to the City because I have nobody else," she finished quietly, wiping her eyes on the cloak wrapped around her. "I wish I could see you. This trip has been horrible..."

"Come back home then," he told her.

"I can't. I'm the eldest daughter," she whispered, almost teasingly.

She could imagine him leaning his forehead on his wall at that comment. "Tell the Pegasus to bring you home, Maleah."

"And then what?" she asked.

"Go to the university here," he said. "Learn to be a sorcerer like Lord Thom."

There was a pause. "I'll get a better education at the convent..."

For a long while, silence settled between them. At last, Connell said, "I know."

"I miss you," Maleah whispered.

"Back at you," he replied.

"Hush over there," came Hatch's booming voice. "I can't concentrate."

"Leave her alone," Kaidence answered.

Connell was stunned into silence. "I approve of the Pegasus. Not so much the sorcerer."

Stroking the medallion, Maleah sighed. "I think I need to get some rest. Tomorrow we get to the City...I'll let you know how things are when I get there. Also...I need you to tell cousin Jon what happened to Niema and Micah and Wilson, and let Mother and Father know I'm okay."

"Why not just conjure him up in the fire?" Connell suggested. "I'm sure your sorcerer escort can get him no problem."

"I...I guess," Maleah agreed hesitantly.

"Get some sleep, Maleah. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Connell..." The medallion dimmed and Maleah put it back around her neck, standing up and walking over to Hatch. She hated to ask him for a favor but it was _important_. Hatch remained still with his eyes closed until Maleah cleared her throat and asked, "Can you open a channel for me to talk to King Jonathan with?"

"Why do _you_ need to talk to his Majesty?" Hatch demanded.

"Naxens are his cousins," Kaidence replied. "You've been out of Tortall too long."

Rolling his eyes, Hatch waved at the fire in the pit, a spark of ruby red leaping from his fingertips to turn the flame into a brighter red. Maleah threaded a bit of her own Gift into the spell, eventually turning it into pale yellow. In a few moments, Jonathan's face appeared in the fire. "Maleah," he sounded surprised. "It's getting late, little cousin. What's wrong? Where is your escort, and why are you in a camp?"

Taking a deep breath, Maleah explained the whole story once again, calling Kaidence and Hatch over to peer into the fire as well. Kaidence shifted from foot to foot in agitation, not particularly liking the blatant display of magic.

When Maleah finished, Jonathan was stroking his chin in thought. "You two will be rewarded handsomely for the safe delivery of my cousin to the First Daughter at the City of the Gods. I would be honored to have both of you at my palace in Corus when you have finished doing so."

"Thank you, my liege," Kaidence answered with a bow. "We don't need any payment."

"Speak for yourself," Hatch muttered from his bow as well.

"My rude brother also aims to refuse any reward," Kaidence continued. "Lady Maleah's safety is reward enough for us."

Jonathan smiled, though it was apparent how tired he was. "You have a knight's honor, Shang warrior."

"You flatter me, your Majesty," Kaidence replied with a blush.

"If you three will excuse me, I need to go see my cousin and inform him of what has transpired. Travel well, and be wary of any other immortal creatures that may be lurking around the corner," Jonathan advised, and his image in the fire vanished.

"Well!" Kaidence said. "Time for some sleep. Let's go, kitten."

Maleah opened her mouth to protest but was ushered into the girls' tent.

"Goodnight, little brother," Kaidence called out of the tent flap and tied it shut.

"Goodnight, overbearing elder sister," Hatch called back. 


	5. The Convent

_Author's notes: The Shang are not mentioned to be orphans anywhere in the Song of the Lioness quartet, which is what I'm basing these off of. If it's mentioned at another point in the series, then please accept my apologies for the misinformation. Kaidence was taken for Shang training when she was very young, so she never lived with her parents after that, but once she was released from her training, it would make sense for her to journey back to her home, yes?_

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_The Convent_

_February 17, 450_

That night, Maleah had not slept a moment. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see were the bodies of her companions strewn about the road and the unfolding of her horrible vision. Even though she knew she had kept Kaidence up all night with her, the Shang Pegasus looked as fresh and bright as ever. Clearly, Kaidence Smith enjoyed the mornings.

On the other hand, Hatchett Smith stumbled blearily out of his tent, growled menacingly at Maleah and stomped over to the nearby creek. Maleah's brows drew together as she watched him drop to his knees and promptly drop his face completely into the water.

"Hatch!" she cried.

Kaidence put a hand on her shoulder. "He does that every morning. It's his way of waking up. If you don't let him do it, he'll be a bear for the rest of the day."

What weird people, Maleah thought as she ate her breakfast. When she finished eating, she tiptoed to the creek and carefully washed off her dish, trying not to disturb Hatch, who still lie face-down in the water. Shaking her head, she trotted back over to Kaidence and handed her the plate.

The blond woman eyed her brother from afar, then finally said, "If you aren't out of that water in ten seconds, I'm feeding your food to Prince and Firefly." Prince was Kaidence's beautiful silver-gray stallion with darker mane and tail and white spots on his rump. Hatch partnered with Firefly, an ill-tempered chestnut mare that snorted at everyone but her master and tried to throw Maleah when she had sat in his saddle with him for a few moments.

Immediately, Hatch sat up and trudged, sopping wet, to the fire and mechanically ate his food.

Fingering her medallion, Maleah leaned lightly against Prince as she watched Kaidence work.

"Copper for your thoughts?" Kaidence asked as she finished packing up their camp.

Maleah just watched her with serious, unreadable violet eyes.

"Kitten, you can't aim to keep quiet all the trip, can you?" Kaidence pressed, working now at saddling Prince.

It took Maleah a few moments to decide to speak. "Where are you and Hatch going when you've left me?"

Pausing a moment, Kaidence chewed on her lip. "You know, I hadn't thought of it yet, to be honest. Hatch and me, we promised a long time before that we'd see the world someday, and it worked out that when I was going through Carthak, he was looking for a way 'cross the Inland Sea. We was on our way up to Galla or Scanra when we found you."

"So you plan to go to there when you've left," Maleah finished.

"Oh kitten," she admonished gently. "Did I say that? I just said me and Hatch hadn't talked yet."

Maleah gave a single nod and went to the creek to watch the water rush over the rocks. Luckily, she had managed to save one of her more presentable outfits from the wreckage that was the carriage and sighed, dropping her forehead to her knees.

Meanwhile, Kaidence approached her brother and sat next to him. "We gotta decide what we wanna do with the kitten."

Hatch gave his sister a critical look. "It isn't a kitten; it's a child. You can't pick up stray children and expect to abandon them. Humans don't work that way."

"Do you mean to say _you_ want to stay with Maleah?" Kaidence asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in her voice.

"Don't put words in my mouth, Kaidie," he answered, giving a wave of his hand to extinguish the fire in the pit. It collapsed with a gentle puff of air and smoke. "You made the decision to escort her to the City instead of taking her back to Corus and her family, so you need to live with responsibilities that come with that choice. To you, she may just feel like a small pet that you can take care of and return to its proper owners, but she's a human child that just suffered a very traumatic event. Likely, she doesn't even realize the full extent of what has happened to her just yet." Hatch rubbed the stubble on his face and gave a shrug. "I would say you owe her a little more than what you've given so far."

Kaidence watched Maleah at the creek and sighed, her shoulders falling. "I guess."

"You should stay with her for at least a week or so, just to ensure she has settled in to her new life," Hatch advised.

Snatching the plate from Hatch, Kaidence nodded with a gruff grunt of consent as her brother went to his tent to change into dry, clean clothes. Kaidence was a nomad at heart. The way of the Shang had taught her to lead a restless life seeking adventure and ways to kill herself, and she was dragging her poor brother along for the ride. Not to mention, endangering this child who wanted nothing to do with the combat arts. At last, she dropped down next to Maleah and said, "We'll stay with you at the convent until you get settled, okay?"

Relieved, Maleah looked at Kaidence and gave a small smile.

Kaidence had a feeling she had just signed herself up to stay at the convent for a very long time.

* * *

  
The convent gates stood open, kept secure by two guards dressed in livery of the Goddess. They allowed Maleah and Kaidence to enter as adult men were not allowed on the holy grounds of the Goddess, were relieved of Prince and Maleah's few belongings, and escorted directly to the First Daughter. None of the three had ever been to the City of the Gods before and were awed by the massive temples decorating the streets and admired the different colors of robes and uniforms that declared allegiance to particular gods. The Mithran cloisters and the Convent of the Mother were the largest such complexes in the City.

The First Daughter, a matronly woman named Neline urged Kaidence and Maleah to take seats in front of her rounded desk. Magical lamps flickered upon the walls, outshone by the shining sun just outside.

"Welcome, Lady Maleah," Neline said. "His Majesty contacted us this morning with news from the Prime Minister that you would not arrive at the convent with your nanny, but instead your..." Neline paused, pursed her lips and eyed Kaidence carefully. "What precisely _is_ your relationship to Lady Maleah, if I may be so bold? Young ladies usually arrive with their nurses and nannies, and you..."

"Kaidence Smith," she answered. "I'm the Shang Pegasus. Lady Maleah's safety is my primary duty. I suppose you could call me her bodyguard."

Neline looked surprised and struggled to hide it. "How unusual."

"The only daughter of the Prime Minister and cousin to King Jonathan himself can never be too well taken care of," Kaidence explained.

The First Daughter made a low sound under her breath and moved onto the next item of business. "You will stay with us for the next five to six years, Lady Maleah. During that time, you will blossom into a lady worthy of a noble husband, and when your coven matron deems you worthy enough, you will return to the Court at Corus and, with any luck, find your husband." Taking a short pause to stack some parchment leaves together, she turned her gaze to Maleah. "During your stay at the convent, you will belong to a coven--a group of thirteen girls your age who will live in private dormitories arranged in thirteen groups. Each dormitory is arranged in a circle of thirteen quarters with an additional common room joining them together, with a fourteenth loft that belongs to the coven matron. The coven matron will serve as your liaison between you and I, and she will be the one to whom you bring your problems.

"In your quarters you will find that you have your sleeping area, a washroom, and an adjoining room for your servant, nanny, nurse, or...bodyguard. If you haven't brought a servant with you, then you will be solely responsible for the care and cleaning of your quarters.

"Your day will begin at the sixth hour with breakfast in the coven common room. At seventh hour is the morning service to our Mother, and when the service has ended, you will be expected to attend classes. Each coven has its own schedule of classes to maintain, but you will begin with the basics: simple mathematics, Tortallan history and geography, deportment, literacy, music, foreign language, and a class for the Gifted, which I know you highly are as the daughter of Lord Thom of Trebond. At the midday bell, you will return to the coven common room for the midday meal, then return to your classes. By the fourth afternoon bell, you should be finished with your classes and you will have a free hour to socialize with your coven sisters. Supper is at the fifth bell, and from the sixth bell until the eighth bell you will have your opportunity to finish any assigned classwork. This is where you will approach your coven matron for assistance."

As Neline continued to speak, Kaidence's head spun. She had no idea how Maleah could process all of that information. It sounded so ridiculously extravagant. Maleah seemed to soak it in, though, and that was what was important.

"Considering what happened yesterday, bed linens will be provided for you until such time as you can procure your own," Neline said. "You will be the newest addition to the Coven of the Sky-Mother. Arielle will be your coven matron."

Suddenly, they were on their feet and walking at a brisk pace to the Coven of the Sky-Mother's dormitory. A key was handed to Maleah. "You will only receive one key for your duration here to your rooms. If you lose the key, then you will need to find Arielle to let you into your room whenever you need inside, or you will need to leave your door unlocked."

Maleah slid the key onto her necklace and nodded. "I understand. Thank you, First Daughter."

"I hope I don't see you too often," Neline said, and left.

Sighing, Maleah looked to Kaidence. "She's a little scary."

"She is," said a voice from behind them.

Maleah jumped.

"Sorry to startle you! My name is Arielle," she said, curtseying to Kaidence and Maleah. "You must be Lady Maleah and the Shang Pegasus. Please, feel free to settle yourselves into your new rooms, then please meet me here in the common room, Lady Maleah."

"Where Lady Maleah goes, I go," Kaidence said. "I'd be a shoddy bodyguard otherwise."

Arielle offered a smile. "Naturally! What may I address you as?"

She got this question a lot. "Kaidence is fine. No title necessary."

"Kaidence, then," Arielle smiled, and it was dazzling. Kaidence shook her head and followed Maleah into their quarters, claiming the smaller of the rooms for herself. Maleah's room sported a large window paned in glass with heavy blue and cream drapes, a sturdy pine wardrobe, a standing mirror, a dressing screen that partitioned off part of the room, and a shared washroom with an indoor privy, a wash basin, a tub, and a small chest. Her bed was nestled into a corner opposite of the window. Kaidence's room was smaller, though essentially a mirror of Maleah's, minus the mirror and with a smaller wardrobe.

Quickly, Kaidence emptied her belongings from her trunk, leaving Maleah's inside, and pushed the trunk to the foot of Maleah's bed with a wink. By the time Kaidence had finished unpacking, Maleah had done the same and had managed to make herself look more distinguished.

Taking a deep breath, Maleah closed her eyes and thought of her family and Niema, who had been like an aunt to her. Tears flooded her eyes as memories of her surfaced, but she shoved them and thought fervently of Arielle, waiting for them in the common room. Kaidence placed a comforting, secure hand upon her charge's back, and that seemed to give her strength.

At last, Maleah opened the door and slowly made her way to the common room, where Arielle sat in one of the many comfortable chairs spread around the fireplace. Arielle offered her smile again and said, "Welcome to the Coven of the Sky-Mother, Maleah." She stood and gave Maleah a graceful curtsey, sweeping back her silken skirts. Maleah had never seen such a beautiful woman before, she realized with a start. She had always thought Queen Thayet was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, but Arielle outpaced her. She had brilliant, glimmering blond hair--no, not blond, blond wasn't adequate. It was the color of polished gold and just as bright. Her eyes were like two perfectly cut emeralds burning with inner fire, and her skin was as delicate as porcelain, and as fair as Maleah could ever imagine.

Standing next to Arielle, she felt sallow and frumpy with her stringy red hair and dull purple eyes.

Even Arielle's clothes spoke of good taste and beauty. She wore a deep pink dress, clearly made of fine silk, edged in green thread the same color as her eyes, that fit her like a second skin along her torso and flared at the waist. A pale gold ribbon tied at the hem of the bodice and the waist of the skirt, forming a bow at the small of her back. Loose sleeves in emerald green tightened at her wrists with golden buttons. A pink ribbon in the same color as the dress held Arielle's hair back at the neck.

She even made Kaidence feel self-conscious.

"I'm sure that Lady Neline overwhelmed you," Arielle said softly. Her voice was musical.

Wordless, Maleah nodded. She was suddenly feeling very small, very lost, and very alone. Maybe she should have returned to Corus and attended the university, as Connell had suggested. At least, then, she would be able to see her best friend and visit her parents.

"I remember being ten and hearing her speak so quickly about our schedules," Arielle soothed. "It was about fifteen years ago, but, still."

"You're twenty-five?" Kaidence asked skeptically.

"I don't look it because I have no husband and no children," Arielle explained with a grin. "Now, Lady Maleah, if you will follow me, I'd like to show you around the common room." Quietly, Maleah fell in step behind Arielle. They stopped at a wooden contraption, marked with numbers. It was apparently a chart with sliding pieces of wood that told the girls their schedule for the term. For the new girls this year, eighth bell was music, ninth deportment, tenth foreign language, eleventh the Gifted class or an extra hour of literacy, midday, then first bell was mathematics, second geography and history, and third literacy. At fourth bell, the Coven of the Sky-Mother usually tried to go ice-skating if the weather permitted during the winter. "In the spring, we learn proper riding for ladies; in the summer, we swim; in the autumn, we learn about botany. Botany is the--"

"Study of plants," Maleah whispered.

Arielle's face lit up with a smile. "Correct!"

Maleah flushed.

"We follow this schedule Monday through Friday," Arielle explained. "Saturday and Sunday are yours to do with as you please. However, if you venture into the City, you will need the permission of Lady Neline, which you will get through me. We have a library here at the convent, but it's nowhere near as extensive as the one in the capital. The Mithran cloisters have a much larger library that we are permitted to borrow from, which brings me to my next topic.

"As a Gifted one, you will be partnered with a student from the Mithran cloisters. His name is Tilar of Coldwater, the fief at Lake Coldwater. Lord Tilar is a few years your senior, but he will be a great deal of help to you as you study here. However, you may not venture to the cloisters with him or bring him back to the coven dormitory. The only places you will be permitted to spend time with him are the library here, the library at the cloisters, or in the classrooms."

Arielle motioned to the table off to one side of the common room. "This is where we will take our meals. From time to time, mostly on holy days, we will eat in the Great Room with the other covens, the Daughters of the Goddess, and Lady Neline. During Midwinter, we will even take all of our meals with the Mithran priests and their students."

As Arielle spoke, Maleah listened with one ear and thought of the people she would be meeting soon. Twelve other girls and Lord Tilar of Coldwater. With any luck, one of them would be her friend, if Kaidence didn't scare them away.

"And don't you worry, Lady Maleah, you'll be paired with Lady Sette to guide you during your first few days until you get the knack of finding your way around. I would show you where your classrooms are, but everyone is currently there. They should be finishing up Literacy in just a few moments, and we'll introduce you to Lady Sette and go ice-skating."

Sette? Why did that name sound so familiar?

Frowning, Maleah nodded and made herself comfortable in one of the chairs. Kaidence stood to one side, the alert and ever-present bodyguard. Arielle curtsied and excused herself.

"What's on your mind, kitten?" Kaidence asked.

"Sette's name sounds familiar," Maleah explained softly. "I can't remember where I've heard her name before..."

Just then, the door to the common room burst open and a stream of young girls poured inside. That was when Maleah saw her.

She had straight, mousy brown hair with softer brown eyes, a small mouth and a smattering of freckles, and she stood half a head higher than the other girls. And she looked just like her father, Maleah was certain--this was Lady Sette of Queenscove, the younger sister of the young man Duke Baird was always talking about--Nealan? Yes. Lady Sette of Queenscove, who Maleah had met a couple of times when Duke Baird had actually brought his children to Court.

Sette saw her, nudged her closest companions, and looked for Arielle, who appeared moments later.

"Sisters, I'd like you to welcome our newest Daughter of the Sky-Mother: Lady Maleah of Naxen. Lady Maleah, these are your coven sisters for the next few years." As Arielle motioned, they quietly and quickly arranged themselves into a line. "This will be your partner for the next few days, Lady Sette." Sette curtsied, clearly recognizing Maleah, and went to take a seat. "Lady Emalie, Lady Kitrall, Lady Dawness, Lady Cassaundra, Lady Ryleigh, Lady Alearia, Lady Jailyn, Lady Starr, Lady Evonne, and Ladies Celane and Lila." The last two were twins, identical. Maleah knew she would have trouble keeping track of them and was just thankful that Arielle hadn't included fiefs in the introductions. A couple of the girls, like Emalie, Jailyn, and Cassaundra, Maleah had met a couple of times over the last five years. At least _that_ was some small relief.

After the introductions, Sette had moved to sit near Maleah, bringing Dawness, Celane, Lila, and Jailyn with her. Alearia, Starr, and Evonne stayed to one side of the room, leaving Cassaundra, Kitrall, Emalie, and Ryleigh to associate.

"Sette of Queenscove," Sette said. "We've met before, though."

Dawness introduced herself next. She was smaller than Sette, but still taller than Maleah, with red hair and green eyes. "Dawness of King's Reach, but call me Dawn. Everyone else does."

"I'm Celane of Harvale," said one of the twins.

"That makes me Lila of Harvale," said the other.

It _really_ didn't help that they both had black hair styled the same way, brown eyes, fair skin, and wore the same color.

"And I'm Jailyn of Palemont," said the last girl, who had blond hair and blue eyes. It didn't surprise Maleah that she looked very Scanran. Palemont, like Trebond, was a fortress on the border of Tortall and Scanra.

"I'm Kaidence, Maleah's bodyguard," said the Shang Pegasus.

Maleah ducked her head in a sitting curtsey, wishing that the girls didn't stare at her quite so intently.

"Why do you have a bodyguard?" Jailyn asked.

"Don't you know?" Dawn answered swiftly. "She's a Naxen. She's the daughter of the Prime Minister."

Maleah blushed crimson and gripped at her medallion.

Sette saw the blush and grinned. "Aw, Dawn, be nice. She's only been here a couple of hours. Just remember how you felt when Lady Neline barraged you with so much."

Looking properly chastised, Dawn leaded back in her chair and looked to Arielle, who had just risen from her seat.

"I've just received word that the boys from the Cloisters have, yet again, tampered with the lake, so we won't be ice-skating today, ladies," Arielle announced. A small puff of grass green was the only indication that Arielle was upset. It shimmered for a moment and vanished. Secretly, Maleah was pleased that her coven matron was Gifted, too.

"All the matrons are Gifted," Sette said softly, seeing the relief on Maleah's face. "Actually, all of us here in the Sky-Mother Coven are Gifted; that's why Arielle is our matron."

"What are the other covens?" Maleah asked.

"Let's see..." Sette looked thoughtful. "There's the Earth-Mother Coven, the Mother of the Mountains which is the coven for those leaning towards a life of service to the Mother Goddess...the Water-Maker, Life-Giver which is for those who are Gifted in healing, the Light-Bringer where the boys go until they move to the Cloisters..."

"The Harvest Mother," Celane or Lila piped up.

"The Coven of the White Shield," Jailyn spoke. "That's where the ones who fight for the Mother Goddess go."

"There's a few more," Sette continued, "but we really only deal with the Ladies in the Covens of the Earth-Mother, Life-Giver, and Water-Maker. The Coven of the Harvest Mother has some...different...people in it. The Cult of the Light-Bringer is mostly boys. The Coven of the White Shield...those ladies are scary."

"Isn't there one about the Seeing Eye?" one of the twins asked.

"Oh," Sette answered. "Probably, that's where the Sight trained ladies go."

Maleah kept quiet about her Sight.

"The Beast-Mother," added another twin.

Kaidence was trying her best not to interfere, but she couldn't take it anymore. "How do you girls tell the twins apart?"

"Easy," Lila said. "I wear earbobs. Celane doesn't."

"I always wear this, too." Celane held up a dazzling sunburst pendant upon a gold chain.

Nodding, Kaidence tried to fade into the background. She wasn't used to standing on the sidelines, and particularly unaccustomed to serving as a bodyguard. Mentally, she tried to figure out when she could leave, but she had a feeling that she would be staying. It was a nagging emotion and she didn't want to hate Maleah for it, later.

The young ladies began to chat amongst themselves as Maleah stayed quiet and out of the conversation. She was trying to learn the mannerisms of the new girls with whom she'd be living, and particularly trying to find something she could connect with Sette about. From what she could ascertain, Sette was Gifted in healing and only slightly possessed any academic magic but for that reason, Duke Baird had requested she be admitted to the Sky-Mother's Coven. Sette also had a handful of siblings, including a slightly older brother named Nealan who was studying at the University in Corus. Out of their group, Sette was clearly the leader.

Dawn seemed to have been forced to go the convent against her will. Her parents were old-fashioned conservatives who felt that women had no place training for knighthood, and that surrounded by so many men it would only serve as a distraction to the boys who were training and develop loose morals. This annoyance manifested in her treating the other girls with a degree of callousness that they dismissed out of hand.

As for the twins, Celane and Lila were both Gifted, and both had sky blue magic. Celane seemed to be the more outgoing twin, often laughing and speaking loudly, gesturing, and behaving in a very extroverted manner. The girls in their group loved her dearly and were very possessive and protective of her. On the other hand, Lila was introverted, exuding tranquility and peace with her controlled movements and precise grace. Maleah had a brief flash of vision, seeing Celane as a large, pitch-black dog in her head, and Lila as a cat the color of the midnight sky. Her Sight was beginning to frighten her--it was developing new and strange facets with alarming speed.

Lila touched Maleah's arm, seeing her wince and touch her temple. "Are you well?" she asked softly.

A wave of calm washed over her. Lila was clearly empathic. Maleah simply nodded and folded her hands in her lap again.

Jailyn of Palemont was arrogant and intelligent. Sette never let her get out of hand, often poking fun at the girl's outrageous claims or superior point of view. Just in the hour before the evening meal, Maleah often caught Jailyn sizing her up out of the corner of her eye, clearly wondering how Maleah had come to be the daughter of Duke Gareth and Cythera.

The evening bell rang and the girls began to move toward the table, Sette linking her arm through Maleah's and tugging her. "Come on. I'll teach you."

Maleah nodded and followed.

* * *

  
After supper, Sette had finished her classwork and took Maleah aside. "You don't talk a lot, do you?"

Maleah shook her head, twisting her hands into a knot behind her back.

"Probably a good thing," Sette mused, "as some of the ladies here run their mouths too much."

"I heard that," Jailyn said.

"Who says I was talking about you?" Sette answered. Jailyn huffed and went back to her work. "Anyway, I thought that since the Cloisters and the convent have the same curfew, I could take you over to the courtyard that joins us to them and see if Tilar wants to meet you. Trust me, the sooner you meet your Gifted friend, the easier it will be for you to call on him when you need help. Plus, you won't have the awkwardness of our Sister Taresa introducing you tomorrow and having the hour alone."

Uncertain, Maleah looked away and placed her hand over her crystal medallion, tucked safely under her bodice. "I...suppose..."

"Great!" Sette said brightly. She took Maleah by the arm again and guided her out of the dormitory hall, through a series of wide, shallow hallways, and emerged in a softly illuminated courtyard. Maleah had a feeling in the spring and summer, the courtyard was breathtaking--however, in the dead of winter, all she could see was cold, stone planters and matching benches sprinkled throughout the circular space.

"Ah, good! There he is." Sette dragged her new charge towards a cluster of boys on the opposite end of the courtyard. Frantic, Maleah looked around for Kaidence and found her lurking in the shadows just outside of the magical lamps. Relief flooded her and she was able to breathe. "Tilar!"

Maleah wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't the gangly boy she found in front of her. Unruly, wavy black hair crowned his head, tumbling to his shoulders and making him almost feminine. Large green eyes peered out from underneath the tendrils covering his forehead, and he looked awkward donned in his novitiate's robe. "Hi, Sette."

"Tilar, I brought her," Sette said with an air of pride. "Novitiate Tilar, allow me to introduce Lady-in-Training Maleah of Naxen, your Gifted partner."

Maleah curtseyed to the boy named Tilar, who was about as tall as Sette, and he offered instead a hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you, Lady Maleah."

Awkward, Maleah took Tilar's hand and was surprised to find him shake her hand. "I just broke about a dozen etiquette rules, but if we're to be close, propriety can't be a factor. I'm Tilar of Coldwater."

She nodded, not feeling the need to repeat what Sette had already said.

"I'll let you two talk," Sette said airily, joining the other two boys to the side. She clearly knew both of them and was comfortable with them both.

"I'm confused," Maleah murmured.

"About what?" Tilar wanted to know.

Maleah blushed, not realizing that she had spoken loud enough for Tilar to hear. "Well, Lady Sette...how old is she? How long has she been here that she knows everyone so well?"

Grinning, Tilar shoved his mass of hair out of his face--a gesture that Maleah would soon learn to ignore. "Sette knows everybody. Queenscove isn't far from Coldwater, and I used to play with Neal when I was boy. Neal isn't too much younger than me. He's eleven now, and I'm fourteen. Ennick's younger than me, about twelve, and he was in the Light-Bringer Cult until Midwinter." He pointed to Ennick, another gangly boy with blond hair. "Madrell is Sette's Gifted partner."

"How long has she been here?"

"I'd say since Midwinter," Tilar said thoughtfully. "You could always ask her."

Maleah shrugged, fiddling with the chain of her necklace.

"What's that?" Tilar asked, reaching forward to touch her pendant.

Jerking back, Maleah closed her hand over it. "It's...important."

With a shrug, Tilar accepted the fact and they stood in an agreeable silence for a little while longer. Suddenly, Sette turned to Maleah and Tilar, smiled, and took Maleah's arm. "We have to go back to the dorm now. Thanks, Tilar, Ennick, Madrell. We'll see you three tomorrow!"

As Maleah and Sette walked back to the dormitory, Sette explained that the Gifted class was the only class in the entire convent and at the cloisters that was taught in tandem. All other classes, though, were taken with the other girls. At last, they reached the dormitory as the curfew bell struck, and Sette gave Maleah a brief hug. "I'll see you in the morning," Sette said, and ducked into the room next to Maleah's.

* * *

  
After a restless almost-hour of waiting for Connell to respond to her pulse through their medallions with more than their code for "not now," Maleah finally drifted into sleep.

However, as soon as she closed her eyes, she had the strangest, surreal feeling that she was still awake.

The landscape around her had changed. Half of it was a dark room decorated in shades of royal blues and purples, accented by silver, both darkened and polished. The other half was a lake of liquid emerald water, surrounded by orange trees and bushes. Her head spun and she dropped her face into her hands.

"Don't just stand there," barked a voice like the ringing bells that called the hour. "Come inside."

Maleah's feet worked without her consent, bringing her into the room-like half. A sound like a gong being struck rang out behind her, and when Maleah looked up, she was entirely inside of the strange dark room. Before her lounged a long, languid woman with dark hair that was clearly purple and feline eyes marked heavily around the lids with black powder--or was that the true color of her skin? The black shaded her eyelids and swept into a point to her temples, accented by elegant purple brows, with lips the same color as her eyelids. The rest of her skin seemed to be the off-white of the Yamani plates the Court ate from. Impossibly, black ringed her wrists and shifted with black flames along her forearms.

The woman herself wore a black gown trimmed in bright silver and pale purple, and a string of black opals curled around her neck. From her back sprouted two shimmering, gossamer wings.

Strangely, Maleah was unafraid.

"Greetings," the woman--for Maleah had no other name for her--spoke, her voice resembling the tinkling of Midwinter bells, "Maleah of the Dreamsight."

Maleah looked at herself and was unsurprised to see that she wore a gown much like the winged woman's.

"My name is Elswoode," she explained. "King Gainel has sent me to you."

_Gainel?_ Maleah wondered to herself.

"For shame, child," Elswoode chided. "The Dream King has chosen you, as the Mother Goddess chose Alanna, as Mithros chose your father."

"For what?" Maleah asked. "Why has Gainel chosen me?"

Elswoode's black lips curved into a smile. "You're not yet old enough to know that."

"Why are you here, then?" Maleah wanted to know.

"Cheeky," Elswoode muttered. "I'm here to help you learn how to decipher your dreams."

Maleah wasn't entirely sure she had just dreamed all of this up as a way to explain her growing power to herself.

Elswoode's silver eyes flared with anger, and abruptly Maleah was left to float in the comforting black that was sleepless dream. 


	6. Beltane 450

_Author's notes: Thank you to those of you who have reviewed! I really appreciate them, and please feel free to leave reviews as you wish. I do so enjoy reading them!_

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_Beltane 450_

_April 19, 450_

The weeks following the visit from Elswoode were markedly dreamless and passed in a blur in which Maleah found herself blissfully sinking into a normal routine. Thankfully, she had no strange visions or flashes of her Sight other than brief flashes of what the people she met would appear as in her dreams, and she had no time to think of what had happened to her at Dunlath Valley. Her new things arrived sooner than expected and Kaidence was surprised to learn she had to teach Maleah how to make her own bed.

Maleah's days were filled with learning and finding her place in her circle of friends. Sette always stuck up for her when Jailyn baited her, and Kaidence was never too far away. Hatch came to visit them from time to time, having been roped into teaching a seminar for Tilar and his peers at the Cloisters. Although he seemed grumpy about it, Maleah and Kaidence both could tell he was pleased to be needed.

At night Maleah sometimes spoke with Connell, when they both had the time and energy to do so. Connell's last year as a page had him studying harder than ever, striving to keep up the marks he had had with Maleah helping him, and working twice as hard to improve his physicality. And although Connell never said anything directly, Maleah suspected there was a fetching young lady at court he was pursuing. He was, after all, fourteen. It hurt to think of him spending his time with someone--anyone--else, but Maleah knew she couldn't be so selfish and tried hard not to be.

As much as not talking to him hurt, Maleah found herself no longer depending solely upon him for friendship. She liked each of her friends for different reasons: Sette with her natural leadership and strong protective instincts, Dawn's fiery temper and equally fiery passion, Celane with her energetic and positive outlook on life, Lila's serenity and infinite patience, and Jailyn and her fierce pride. Even though Jailyn seemed fixated on proving her superiority over Maleah, the other girls would never quite let Jailyn get the upperhand. Quite to her surprise, Maleah quite often helped the other girls with their schoolwork and seemed to be the "smart" one of the group.

The girls in the Coven of the Earth-Mother were the same age as the Sky-Mother's Coven and almost always had class with each other. One of the girls, called Slayde, from the Earth-Mother's Coven seemed to gravitate towards Maleah and Sette's group, bringing a splash of humor to the otherwise dull days. Slayde often joked that she was the fourteenth member of the Sky-Mother's Coven.

The evening of the ninteenth of April found the girls in the courtyard with Tilar, Ennick, Madrell, and Slayde, the only un-Gifted individual out of their assemblage. Although it was still cold in the mountains, the wind had died down enough to enjoy the evening outdoors.

"Beltane will be soon," Slayde commented.

Madrell looked to Sette and the two exchanged grins. Ennick, whose Gifted partner was Lila, made a face at the twins, who both laughed. Tilar looked at Maleah sidelong and was interrupted by Jailyn. "I guess that means we'll be eating in the Great Hall together."

"The whole City will be in celebration," Lila said, her soft voice carrying over the group.

"Well, it _is_ Beltane," Celane added, as though that explained everything.

Tilar's bright eyes twinkled. "Forgive me for saying so, ladies, but you haven't experienced a real Beltane here at the City yet."

"I have so!" Sette protested. "Mother brought Neal and I last year before he had to go off to the university."

Shaking his head, Madrell bumped Sette's shoulder with his. "You don't understand. It isn't all fun and games for us religious peons, and that includes you at the convent."

"Beltane is endless service after service during the day," Ennick said. "Then, after early supper, we get to go out into the City with our partners, but we have to meet up here in the courtyard at curfew. At curfew there's another short service, then we all have to jump over the fire together. They say we have to do it because it's what the Goddess and Mithros want us to do. And also it helps bless the Crown."

Dawn made a face. "Who cares about Beltane."

Slayde made a face back at Dawn. "Who cares about anything?"

"Who do we jump the fire with at Beltane?" Maleah asked, her quiet voice carrying over the conversation.

"That's the dumb part," Ennick said.

"Usually, we jump with our partners from magic class," Tilar expounded. "That means, come Beltane, you and I will probably jump the fire together, Maleah."

Cringing slightly, Maleah heard the others laugh. Mentally, Maleah made a note to herself that she would be absent that day, sick with...something. The only person she would jump the fire with would be herself. To borrow one of Connell's favorite expressions, good grief!

Suddenly, a vision struck her, the first to occur since her recurring vision of Dunlath Valley. _As she gripped hands to jump the fire with Tilar of Coldwater, she saw Connell and Gary of Naxen out of the corner of her eye. When she jumped, Gary smiled, but the look on Connell's face told a different story. He looked almost...angry?_ Shaking her head, Maleah decided that she definitely would not jump with Tilar.

"Are you okay?" Sette asked, frowning with concern.

Briefly, Maleah glanced at Kaidence and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. A wan smile spread across her face as she answered Sette. "I'm fine."

The chatter resumed, although Tilar remained suspiciously quiet. The girls were unaware of Maleah's Sight, but Tilar had recognized the glazed expression and momentary disorientation.

"You have the Sight," he commented abruptly.

Flushing crimson, Maleah shook her head. "It's nothing. Silly, really."

"What did you See?" he pressed, the others silent. The girls looked at Maleah with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, while the boys watched her with a degree of interest.

"Nothing," Maleah insisted. "Nothing important." To you, she amended silently.

"What kinds of things do you usually See?" Tilar wanted to know, pushing Lila aside to sit with Maleah.

Uncomfortable, Maleah looked to Kaidence for help, but her bodyguard shrugged. Kaidence wasn't about to socially cripple her charge. Besides, she was trying to get Maleah on her own two feet so she could go roaming with Hatch--it had been about two months already, maybe more, and Kaidence was going stir-crazy.

"I don't know," Maleah murmured, shifting.

Tilar looked skeptical. "How could you not know?"

"Why didn't you tell us you had the Sight?" Sette wanted to know.

Benevolently, Lila placed a hand on Maleah's shoulder from around Tilar. "I'm sure Maleah has her reasons, ladies and gentlemen."

Gratitude filled Maleah's eyes as she looked to Lila. They had a special bond. "I...didn't want to be separated from you..."

Tilar rose and strode over to the other side of the courtyard, clearly frustrated with his partner. "I'll be in the Cloisters. Goodnight."

"What a prat," Sette commented.

"You'll have to excuse Tilar," Madrell said with an air of halfheartedness. "When he learns something new about someone's Gift, he wants to know all about it, to the point of being rude."

Maleah shrugged.

"Nick, we should probably go," Madrell continued. "Ladies, it was a pleasure as always."

"Goodnight!" the girls chorused as Madrell and Ennick headed off.

"It's not that big of a deal," Slayde consoled Maleah. "We all have things we don't want others to know."

Nodding, Maleah looked over at Kaidence, who clearly wasn't paying attention to the girls' conversation. With a sigh, Maleah turned back to her friends as they continued to talk.

* * *

  
_May 1, 450 - Beltane_

The morning of Beltane, Maleah woke with a start. She had been having brief flashes of Sight since the nineteenth of April--ranging from the journey Connell and Gary made to the City, what time they would arrive, what they would do, and the recurring vision of Connell's scowl as Maleah and Tilar jumped the fire. It seemed that no matter how steadfastly she resolved not to jump the fire, the vision kept crawling back.

What had caused her to bolt upright was a dream that had woven into a vision. Connell and Gary would arrive in just an hour, and she wanted to be ready to meet them. She knew they had intended it as a surprise, but--well, it was hard to surprise someone who had the Sight, as sporadically as it gave her things easy to understand. Kaidence was already out of her room, training with the Coven of the White Shield as usual, which gave Maleah ample time to decide what to wear.

She paused and thought back to her most recent glimpse of jumping the fire, and realized that she was wearing her favorite white dress with embroidered purple flowers and a crown of red roses threaded through with white and purple ribbons. With a grim smile, she realized she knew where she was going to get the crown from, too--Tilar would present it to her at breakfast this morning, as the other boys would present crowns to her friends. Sette would get lillies with white and green ribbons, Dawn would get daisies with orange ribbon, Lila would get white roses with dual-toned green ribbons...

Sighing, Maleah picked out her dress, briefly considering wearing her powder blue dress, but she knew it wouldn't go with her crown. To go with it, she selected a pair of white slippers with ribbons that wrapped around her ankle and hurriedly bathed herself. When she was dry and dressed, Maleah fluffed her hair out and waved her hand, the lights in the washroom fading behind her. One thing about the convent she had enjoyed was her grasp on her Gift growing exponentially.

Taking a deep breath, Maleah stepped out of her room and swept through the common room. Arielle was already awake, as usual, and peered at Maleah. "You're awake early," Arielle commented. "If you're looking for Kaidence, she's out with the White Shield."

"I know," Maleah replied. "I...will have visitors, today."

Curious, Arielle set aside her embroidery hoop and tilted her head. "Oh? Who are you expecting?"

"My father and my best friend," she murmured in reply. "They'll be here...now. A messenger will be here in five minutes."

The girls had kept quiet about Maleah's Sight to Arielle. Quirking an eyebrow, Arielle was clearly confused. "Really?"

Maleah nodded. They sat in silence until Maleah said, "The messenger." Almost immediately, the door opened.

"For the lady Maleah: Duke Gareth of Naxen and his companion, Page Connell of Foxtrail Creek, request your presence at the Sun Courtyard," the messenger recited.

"Thank you," Maleah replied graciously and the messenger woman scurried out.

"You're Sighted," Arielle declared. "That must be how you knew."

Maleah smiled softly and gave a nod. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

Shaking her head, Arielle made a shooing motion at Maleah. "I'll let Kaidence know where you went when she returns."

Putting on a smile, Maleah flounced from the sitting room of the Sky-Mother's dormitory and made her way to the courtyard that adjoined the temples. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught her first glimpse of Gary and Connell that she'd had in almost five months, and felt her eyes welling up with tears.

"Father! Connell!" she cried, rushing out into the courtyard.

"'Leah!" Gary replied with the same amount of enthusiasm.

"Maleah," Connell breathed.

Gary swept his daughter up into his arms and swung her around before setting her back down on her feet. "Look at you! I think you've actually grown," he teased her.

Blushing, Maleah looked down at her feet. "Maybe," she admitted. Then she looked up at Connell and smiled brightly. "Connell..."

He had begun to grow into his lanky frame, Maleah noticed. She couldn't help but compare him to Tilar, who was so small and all arms and legs, and Connell, who was starting to look like a man. "Maleah," he said again, and hugged her tightly. Maleah clung to her fourteen-year-old best friend and sighed in relief.

"Aren't you even going to ask why we're here?" Gary wanted to know.

"She probably Saw it," Connell said, his voice muffled by her hair.

Maleah was thankful her face was buried in her friend, for she blushed again. "I knew you were coming, Father, but I don't know why--and I'm so happy you did. I missed you both so much. Why isn't Mother here?"

"Cyth couldn't make it," Gary explained with a hint of sadness. "She sends her love, and this letter."

Finally, Maleah untangled herself from Connell and took the letter from Gary. "I'll read it when I have a chance to later," Maleah said softly.

Gary was pleased to see that the young lady in front of him had finally found her voice. "Any chance we can get you out of your studies for the day?"

"You'll have to talk to Lady Neline," she explained. "She's the First Daughter and she has all the say in if I get the day off."

Nodding solicitously, Gary motioned to one of the guards standing at the entrance back into the Convent. While they were talking, Maleah turned back to Connell and smiled brightly, the simple gesture making her face light up like the sun. Connell took a soft breath and touched the top of her head, trying to ignore the fluttering pit in his stomach. "So what have you been up to? Not lounging around, pining for my handsome face too much, I hope."

Playfully, Maleah shoved him with a bit more force than decorum would usually permit. "Don't flatter yourself," she admonished him. Gods how she had missed him. "I've been learning new things. My Sight..." she trailed off and frowned slightly. "It's getting stronger, I think. Sometimes, I get visions of things that will actually happen, but I haven't gotten any _dreams_ for a couple of months now." Pausing, she worried her lip. "They're teaching us how to ride like ladies."

Connell smiled and realized he hadn't moved his hand from her head. With an abruptness that he didn't realize, he pulled his hand away and stuffed it into his pocket. "Well, that's good, I s'pose. Don't want a bunch of convent-bred ladies riding like Riders, eh?"

Something about Connell seemed so...awkward. "Do you need a healer, Connell? You seem like you don't feel well..."

"Rubbish," he scoffed, "I _am_ a healer, remember?" He winked at her, grinning crookedly.

Maleah threw a glance to her father and looked back at her friend, who wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "How...how did you manage to get up here?"

With a shrug, Connell rubbed the back of his neck. "Sir Gary said he was going to make a trip up here to surprise you and asked if I wanted to join him."

To his relief, Maleah seemed to accept this story. "That was kind of him," she murmured. Or maybe she didn't believe it.

In a few minutes, a messenger arrived with a note from Lady Neline excusing Maleah from her forced attendance at the Beltane services as long as she remained in the company of Gary and Connell, which was hardly an issue for Maleah. Triumphantly, Gary strode back to his daughter and Connell, and in moments they were outside.

The bright sun shone overhead, glinting at an angle from the glass domes of the Wave-Walker's temple, casting a shimmering radiance over the Sun Lord's temple, throwing the convent itself into high relief. In the wintry nothingness that had only just passed in the mountains, Maleah had not had a chance to marvel at how truly beautiful the convent was: granite stones piled high above her head with narrow slits at intervals along the walls, a pristine ornate silver gate with its flanking petite guard stations, and now growing with incredible speed were vibrant green tendrils of ivy that carefully framed the slits. The convent was beautiful in its natural simplicity.

People in garb of all colors flocked along the streets which normally resembled abandoned villages, as each temple hosted its own set of services during Beltane. For those who were less traditional, bright ribbons in vivacious spring colors decorated the City of the Gods, throwing the normal grayness into a nearly disconcerting splendor.

"You picked a good day to be here," Maleah said to them. "The City never looks like this, but I'm glad you get to see it."

"Maleah!" cried a familiar voice from behind them. It sent chills along her spine.

She paused and looked over her shoulder to see Tilar barreling towards them. "Hello, Tilar..."

He skidded to a clumsy stop and would have knocked Connell over if the boy hadn't put his hand out to deflect the novitiate. Tilar didn't even bother to thank Connell for the simple gesture. "You weren't at breakfast this morning," he panted, out of breath. "Kai...Kaidence is looking...for you. And!" Suddenly, he was on a knee, holding out the familiar flower crown from Maleah's visions. "Please accept this token of springtime's arrival from a student of Mithros to a daughter of the Goddess."

Awkwardly, Maleah accepted the crown. "Er...thank you."

Tilar pushed himself up and dusted his breeches off, clearly permitted to wear them on this holiday rather than his typical robe. He wore a grass green shirt and mud brown pants, making him look a bit like he belong in the Sun Courtyard. "You must be the Prime Minister and his squire. Maleah has told me all about you, as I'm sure she's told you all about me."

"Squire? No, I'm a page," Connell interrupted.

"Ah, that must have been a secret, then," Tilar mused. Maleah turned a brilliant scarlet. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tilar of Coldwater."

"Gary of Naxen," the older man replied, giving Tilar a firm shake of the hand. "This is Connell of Foxtrail Creek."

"Maleah's best friend," Connell added, shaking Tilar's hand a bit more roughly than necessary.

The only indication Maleah had that Connell had wounded her friend was the slight tighening at the corners of Tilar's eyes. "A pleasure," Tilar said, though his voice was warning.

Hurriedly, Maleah put her rose crown upon her hair and flashed Tilar a smile. "Thank you, Tilar. Will you let Kaidence know that we're going to be at the Scrying Pool if she wants to meet us there? And...if Hatch--if Master Hatchett can get away, I'd like him to meet us there, too..."

Skeptical, Tilar eyed Connell a moment too long and finally looked back to Maleah. He nodded and said, "I will if I see them." He hesitated a moment, then swept Maleah up in a hug and kissed her cheek. What she couldn't see was the smug and triumphant look he threw at Connell before he walked away.

Fuming, Connell clenched his jaw and curled a protective arm around Maleah's shoulders.

Gary was very intrigued by this fuss over his ten-year-old daughter.

"What's the Scrying Pool?" Gary asked at last to break the tension-filled silence.

Maleah looked to her father and gave a small smile. "It's the inn here. Follow me, I'll show you."

Quickly, she ducked out of Connell's arm and led the way to the Scrying Pool, the City's only inn, and found it bustling with life. Kaidence knew most of the people who ran the inn, and the innkeeper instantly recognized Maleah when she walked in with her companions. In a moment, he had cleared a table for her, Gary, Connell, Kaidence, and Hatch, should they show.

Fruit juice was quickly and quietly served to the nobles.

"What did Tilar mean, asking if I was Sir Gary's squire?" Connell asked at last, relaxing his jaw enough to speak.

Blushing deeply, Maleah tried to hide behind her cup. "It's nothing," she murmured. "Just something I Saw..."

"You mentioned it to..._him_...but not me?" Connell murmured back, a thin tremor of anger and annoyance erasing the normal comfort of his voice.

"Connell, you know how my Sight works..." she trailed off. "It wasn't for certain. It's something Father has to decide. I...didn't want to get your hopes up..."

Just then, Kaidence plopped down in the seat closest to Gary and dragged her brother into the remaining seat between her and Connell. Across from her was Maleah, situated between Gary and Connell. "You gave me quite a scare, kitten," Kaidence admonished.

"Arielle said she would tell you where I went," Maleah answered defensively, anxiously shifting her cup around on the table.

"Imagine my surprise when you aren't in the Sun Courtyard no more," Kaidence continued. "Could have at least told the guard. That sorcerer boy had to tell us where you was."

Mystified, Gary looked to Maleah, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Father, please meet Kaidence Smith, the Shang Pegasus and my bodyguard, and her brother, Hatchett Smith. They...found me, when Niema..."

Gary silenced Maleah with a gentle hand. "Thank you," he said simply to the brother and sister seated next to him. "Maleah means the world to her mother and I. I'm Gareth."

"I figured," Kaidence answered with a grin. "And you must be the boy she never shuts up about, Connell. S'a pleasure to meet you at last."

Connell glanced at Maleah from the corner of his eye and gave Kaidence one of his dazzling smiles. "The pleasure is mine, madam."

With a sigh, Maleah resigned herself to embarassment. She peered at Hatch and recognized the glazed, not quite awake look upon his face and gave him a swift kick underneath the table. Flinching, he scowled at her and thumped her on the forehead with the heel of his hand. "Lemme alone," he mumbled at her. "Tired."

She rubbed her forehead and made a face at Hatch. Hatch treated her as she imagined an older brother would, and she loved it.

The introductions made, the conversation began in full motion, Gary reciting stories of Maleah's last five years, Kaidence reciting stories of Maleah's last few months, Hatch eventually becoming alert enough to participate, and Maleah and Connell sat in relative silence on their side of the table.

"Should it be this way?" Maleah wanted to know.

"What way?" Connell replied, keeping his eyes steadily upon Kaidence.

Maleah looked sharply at him. "This...how awkward it is."

A nervous laugh escaped Connell as he dropped his gaze into his cup. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why did you come?" Maleah pressed. "If you didn't want to see me, why did you come?"

"Of course I wanted to see you," Connell snapped, looking at her. "It's...complicated."

Maleah frowned and jabbed him in the ribs with her finger. "There's nothing you can't tell me, Connell. You know that. Is it a girl? Someone you met at Court?"

A red flush creeped up his neck to barely caress his cheeks. "Something like that."

"Nothing wrong with that," Maleah told him brightly, although a fluttering swam through her stomach, making her feel queasy for a moment. Ignoring it, she touched his hand gently and took a drink from her cup. "Tell me about her! Is it anyone I know?"

Connell lifted his cup and tilted it at angles until the juice nearly spilled from its rim. "She's quiet," he muttered. "Usually, she doesn't ask invasive questions, but she's perceptive, and incredibly strong. Small for her age, too."

Nodding eagerly, Maleah did her best to ignore the thrill of fear that ran through her veins. She didn't like this new girl, she thought irrationally. She was keeping Connell from Maleah, and Maleah didn't like that at all. "I don't think I know anyone like that."

"I guess she also doesn't think much of herself," Connell added. "I don't think you know her like I do."

"What's her name?" Maleah asked pointedly as the food they requested arrived.

Connell glanced at Maleah out of the corner of his eye. "Rosalie."

"Rosalie," Maleah tested the name on her tongue. "Rosalie who?"

"I'm not sure where she's from," Connell explained. "I'm hungry," he said abruptly, and began to eat.

Rosalie, Maleah thought darkly. She would see about this Rosalie.

* * *

  
That evening, Maleah was forced to return to the Sun Courtyard with her companions in tow. It was time to jump the fire, and Tilar was looking around the crowd eagerly for her. Panicked, Maleah turned to Connell. "You have to jump the fire with me. If you're my friend, you'll do it, otherwise Tilar will make me jump with him and I _really_ don't want to..."

Amazed by her especially long statement, Connell nodded wordlessly and let Maleah take his hand. Even though the mountain air had turned chilly, Maleah realized he was sweating and frowned. That wasn't like him.

She led him over to the line of students waiting to jump the fire and realized how self-conscious Connell was as he glanced around the courtyard, frantic. "Calm," Maleah murmured to him. "It's just one little jump."

Connell grunted. Why was he being so _weird_ today?

Behind Maleah, Sette poked her in the shoulder and grinned. "He's _cute_!" Sette whispered in Maleah's ear. "Make sure he comes back, and let us meet him next time."

Nodding, Maleah gave her friend a smile and looked around for Lila, who was clearly absorbed in her conversation with Ennick. Maleah had a flash of vision to sometime later, after they'd all left the convent, of Lila and Ennick's wedding. Ennick had forsaken the cloisters to be with her! That brought a soft smile to Maleah's face, and she decided to keep that vision to herself. There was no need to cause Lila distress well before it was due.

Suddenly, they were next. Tilar frowned at her from the side of the fire as she squeezed Connell's hand and jumped over the fire in tandem with him. "So mote it be," she whispered.

"So mote it be," Connell whispered back, smoothing her hair with his free hand. A gentle kiss was laid upon her forehead, his lips lingering just a fraction too long.

He was acting _so strange_. 


	7. Mistake

_Author's notes: I use the Sight here as the ability to see the future, as Thom had often done in the Song of the Lioness quartet. In SotL and Immortals, there is no mention of the Sight being anything but George's ability to sense Alanna and his ability for premonition, which he credits to his ability to maintain his throne as the Rogue. :)_

**Fallen Leaves on the Ground**  
_Mistake_

_At the stroke of midnight - May 2, 450_

Maleah was suddenly hyper-aware of everything around her, and of three things she was absolutely certain: one, she was still asleep; two, she was also awake; and three, she wasn't quite in her own body. Her first indication that her body had vanished and that she now dwelt in a new one was the height difference. From where she stood, she could see further than she had ever been able to, and if she had to guess she estimated that she now stood around five feet and four inches. Her red hair fell in long curls to her waist, carefully beaded at some points with amethyst carvings, and she possessed an asset that had only just begun to pronounce itself upon her tiny frame--a womanly asset, or assets, she amended. A strange, tranquil calm spread over her, giving way to an almost cocky arrogance.

The last time she had felt this way, the strange giant pixie-woman had visited her in her dream.

Reaching out before her with foreign, slender hands that belonged to a woman much older, Maleah felt a thin wall of glass that separated her from what she perceived as the depths of the ocean beyond. The water was strangely green, just as it had been before.

"Elswoode."

Promptly, Elswoode stood beside Maleah. "Maleah of the Dreamsight, welcome," though Elswoode didn't sound very pleased or welcoming.

Maleah guessed that this bizarre winged porcelain woman probably stood as tall as Numair Salmalin, and turned to look up into the platinum eyes that had thrust her from the Dreamworld previously. "Why did you bring me back here?"

Perturbed, Elswoode glared, her eyes flashing like the steel of a sword in the forge. "King Gainel commanded it."

Folding her arms over her chest awkwardly, Maleah eyed Elswoode, clearly still skeptical. "So talk. You said before that I was too young to know why he chose me, but here I am--older."

Elswoode snorted, her silver eyes rolling. "Don't fool yourself, Maleah of the Dreamsight. I merely brought you here in your future body so I would not have the trials of dealing with such a child. Obviously my plan backfired."

Maleah had to fight the urge to roll her eyes in return. "Tell me what you are, Elswoode."

"I already explained this to you," Elswoode reminded her impatiently. "I tire of you--" as the words left Elswoode's mouth, she turned as still as stone and her chromatic eyes glazed over. The moment passed and she regained control, scowling. "King Gainel says I must humor you. I am Elswoode, the Keeper of Prophecy and sister to Calinda, the Guardian."

Finally, Maleah seated herself upon the floor of the underwater glass room. "So teach me what you came to teach me."

Irritated, Elswoode touched Maleah's forehead, where the image of a vibrant yellow eye blazed into place upon her skin. The eye itself was nearly lidded, as though it were sleeping. "Your Gift of light was no coincidence, Maleah of the Dreamsight. In the light, visions in the darkness can be made clear."

Maleah tried in vain to see the shining nearly-closed eye upon her forehead. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Elswoode said, annoyance radiating from the top of her purple-haired head to her ivory toes, "that you need to learn to dream with your third eye, not with your mortal vision."

Confused, Maleah touched the eye, wondering silently how she would ever learn to do that.

"You ignore the blessing of your third eye," Elswoode scolded. "It is all but closed to you. I'm going to open it for you, because King Gainel commands that I do so."

A thrill of fear skittered through Maleah's body but she found herself unable to move. In a flash, Maleah was her normal ten-year-old self, that saffron eye still glowing upon her skin. Elswoode, who towered over Maleah in her adult body, now loomed menacingly above the child, and placed her hands on either side of the eye so that it was centered between the hollow of her thumbs and index fingers.

"Look at my eyes, Maleah of the Dreamsight," Elswoode commanded, and Maleah had no choice but to obey. Suddenly, Elswoode's eyes flared with the intensity of the sun, seering into Maleah until she could no longer see. Darkness swirled around her and the fear now coupled with a crushing panic. "Stop," Elswoode said, "don't be afraid. You can still see. Use your third eye."

"Will this go away?" Maleah asked, her voice shaking with fear.

"When you awaken, your normal sight will return," Elswoode explained with irritation. "You will remain in the Dream until you learn to use your third eye."

Soothed, Maleah went still and closed her eyes, although the gesture was an empty one. Elswoode's voice instructed her to keep her eyes open, and Maleah felt herself obey again without wanting to. It took Maleah a few more minutes to find that slipping into a half-meditative state allowed her to shift her vision into her third eye and she felt the image upon her forehead slid wide open when she found it.

The room around her was nothing but a gleam of silver, the mark of an immortal's magic, and Elswoode was a shining beacon of white light. Over the impossible glare of the magic around her, the images her normal eyes saw shone through, and the light did not blind her mind.

"When you sleep, remember to keep your third eye open," Elswoode said plaintively. "It will help you decipher your dreams."

Before Maleah had a chance to acknowledge Elswoode, she was floating in a sea of blackness, descending swiftly back into sleep.

* * *

  
_June 24, 450_

The morning of the Midsummer Festivities left Maleah feeling morose as she awoke. Her dreams had spiraled downward, descending into depressing and strange nothingness for a time, then exploded with unfamiliar colors and places, unidentified people, and an overwhelming sense of unease that plagued her through the spring and into the early summer. Not even the beginning of the Midsummer holiday seemed to cheer her, and out of sheer reflex, she held tightly to her crystal. Lately, it seemed like its magic had begun to fade, her saffron Gift drowning out the aquamarine of Connell's.

"Kaidie?" Maleah called softly, knowing that in the predawn darkness, Kaidence would be nearby.

Kaidence leaned through the threshold diving them. "What's wrong, kitten?"

"I think..." Maleah started, and stopped. The sudden swell that now gave her a split-second warning of an incoming vision swept over her and she had a moment to find her third eye. Pictures in vivid colors passed before her, images of the Court dancing before her eyes, and of Daine and Numair just a hair away at Fief Dunlath. The mental visions swirled around her so quickly that she was hardly able to make sense of it. "No...never mind. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Kitten, I was up already," Kaidence answered, and moved quickly across the room to sit next to Maleah on her bed. "Tell me what's botherin' you, kitten. Seems no matter what I do, you don't aim to admit what plagues you."

"I..." Maleah began again. "I think it's time you could move on, Kaidie. I know it's killing you to stay here with me."

As much as she wanted to deny it, Kaidence knew it was, indeed, killing her to stay in one place. February 17 to June 24. Four and a half months, and she was still at the convent. It had seemed...so much longer.

"I can't leave you," Kaidence settled for saying. "You still need me."

"I Saw you leaving," Maleah murmured. "And you hated me for making you stay."

Again, Kaidence couldn't refute the little girl's words.

"So you should go now, before you hate me," Maleah continued.

Kaidence was quiet, thinking over Maleah's words in her head. "What else have you seen, kitten?"

"I keep...getting this vision," Maleah confessed, "when I dream, about a wolf and a raven. Tilar is the raven, I know that much, but I don't know who the wolf is. The wolf and the raven, they fight and fight and fight, and neither of them gain an upperhand...then I see the black cat, Lila, and she and the grey cat, Ennick, start talking about secrets. 'Secrets destroy the mind,' the black cat says. 'Secrets seep like blackness,' the grey cat adds. Then the black cat speaks again. 'Secrets cannot be kept, they poison the soul and turn the gentlest spirit hard.' And then I wake up. I...I don't know what it means, even with...what I've learned."

Patting Maleah on the head, Kaidence then asked, "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"I want to go to Corus," Maleah admitted. "I...think I know who the wolf might be, but I won't know for sure until I see him."

"Connell?" Kaidence guessed and frowned when Maleah nodded. "Well, that seems fairly obvious to me."

"What?" Maleah asked.

Shaking her head, Kaidence nudged Maleah with her elbow. "It probably isn't my place to say anything about it. If you're dreaming about it, you're meant to figure it out on your lonesome."

That was the worst part, Maleah had realized a month ago. Even if Kaidence could decode some of her visions, she refused to do so, saying that Maleah needed to figure out what they meant on her own. Later on, Kaidence would tell Maleah her theories after the event came to pass, and sometimes Kaidence was right, sometimes she was wrong.

"I want to see Connell," Maleah said softly, staring off into the pearly predawn light that filled her room.

"I know," Kaidence validated her.

"But he was so strange at Beltane," she continued. "I wish he would tell me what was bothering him. And I want to meet this Rosalie person..."

A grin spread across Kaidence's face. "Well, maybe if Neline says we could, Hatch and me could escort you back to Corus."

Something very strongly told Maleah that _now_ would not be a good time to make a trip to Corus.

"Not...now," Maleah said, clearly confused with herself.

"Whenever," Kaidence replied, less enthused.

Now the voice was telling her to go to Corus. "Or...maybe? I'm so confused. Something keeps saying don't go, then something else is saying yes, go."

Maleah slipped into her third eye and tried to seek an answer for her query. She hadn't told Kaidence of her visit from Elswoode or her sudden ability to better understand most of her dreams, or Elswoode's insistance that Maleah was a chosen of Gainel. Even that sounded pale and hollow to her thoughts, and only slightly crazy. A vivid flash of silver eyes raced through her mind and Maleah had the strangest sensation of being watched from the inside of her body.

"Nerves," Kaidence decided. "I'll go see if Neline'll let us have the time, should you change your mind, kitten."

Quickly, Kaidence left the room, leaving Maleah to ponder. From her mage's kit, she grabbed a slim packet of vervain and shuffled out to the common room, relieved to find it empty. The subtle gray from outside would only last a little longer, she knew. She would have to do this quickly. Grabbing a pinch of vervain, she tossed it into the fire and watched in satisfaction as it instantly turned saffron yellow. Both hands were thrust into the fire, Maleah ignoring the heat that should have been uncomfortable in the summer.

In the fire, she saw images of wolves and of felled trees, sparkles of silver around the trees, and a blot of silver where Daine's dragon would be. Maleah knew she couldn't See immortals very clearly and frowned. There were immortals all around Dunlath, then. They must have been nice immortals if nothing had been done about them. Maleah shifted her thoughts towards Court and Connell, thinking desperately of Rosalie of Wherever.

The fire did nothing but return abruptly to its former red-orange, scalding Maleah's unsuspecting palms.

Maleah was so surprised the pain didn't even register--neither did the fact that her hands were still in the fire.

That shocked moment passed quickly and a violent scream tore from her throat. As soon as the sound escaped her, she passed out.

* * *

  
Maleah came to in the Water-Bearer's infirmary. The first thing she was acutely aware of was the absolute agony that was her arms from midway to her elbow down--she could only imagine the condition her flesh would be in. Blackened and charred, they probably would have to amputate her hands--what a stupid thing to do, she berated herself. She knew better than to perform a spell like that unprotected and unsupervised!

Sette swept hurriedly to Maleah's side, trailed by Lila. "Oh, Maleah," Sette said softly. "What _happened_?"

Lila's calm washed over Maleah, erasing the pain enough for Maleah to answer. "I was being stupid."

"Clearly," Sette answered wryly, her lips twisting into an ironic smile. "Well then, I suppose my birthday celebration will have to wait, then."

Birthday? Maleah had forgotten all about Sette's birthday! It was today, the beginning of Midsummer, June 24. Groaning, Maleah reached her heavily bandaged hands towards her friend. "Sette, I'm so sorry--"

Sette looked to Lila and both of the girls began to laugh softly. "Oh, silly girl," Sette scolded good-naturedly. "Forget I said anything. Slayde and the others are so worried about you...I heard you screaming and I found you unconscious. Your hands were..." Sette stumbled over the next words. "They were still..."

"Ablaze," Lila supplemented, her dark eyes even darker with the gravity of Maleah's situation.

Against her will, a few tears began to roll silently down Maleah's cheeks. How could she have exposed her friends to something like that? How could she have behaved so recklessly, so completely thoughtless? She was so stupid, she didn't deserve to be here, not making a mistake like that. How could she have thought Kaidence leaving had presented the opportunity to try a magic she knew could be dangerous?

Lila's soft, gentle fingers touched Maleah's forehead, sweeping the girl's limp red hair from her eyes. A soothing trail of sky blue rose in their wake, and Maleah felt an ocean of calm flow entirely over her. "Don't cry, dear Maleah," she counseled with a soft smile. "There is good news yet out of the clouds that cover your sun."

Maleah drank in Lila's quiet, musical voice and believed her words. "What do you mean?"

"His Majesty has insisted that you return to Court to receive the best treatment you can," Lila told her. "But you aren't supposed to know that until Arielle comes to tell you."

"I spoke to Father about it," Sette said proudly. "He was more than happy to take you in specially when I explained that you were one of my best friends."

Touched, Maleah fought another wave of tears. Sette considered her a best friend. It made her dizzy with relief and happiness, though a faint hint of surreality touched the feelings as Lila continued to funnel tranquility into her. Suddenly, Arielle appeared before them, with a sad smile, and explained precisely what Lila just had. Cythera had demanded that Maleah return to Court, a decision that the King and the Prime Minister had seemindly endorsed whole-heartedly. As soon as humanly possible, Maleah would be loaded into a carriage with Kaidence and Hatchett and sent back to Corus.

Although Lila's empathic calm still held her firmly, the fingers of panic creeped at the edges of it at the thought of traveling in a carriage again. Memories of the Stormwing attack tore at her mind, so much more vivid than she had ever wanted to remember them, and she heard the screams of agony as the carriage crushed Niema--

Maleah choked back a sob.

Momentarily, a dedicate of the infirmary rushed to Maleah's side, forced her to drink a sour-smelling concoction, and slipped her into sleep.

* * *

  
_June 30, 450_

Luckily, Maleah had been spelled to sleep for the entirety of the ride back, under the insistent orders of the coven matron of the Water-Bearer. The ride itself took only six days until the skillful, if a bit reckless, management of the horses by Hatch. In the few brief moments Maleah awoke to realize she was in the carriage, the brief edges of a panic attack seeping in, Hatch would reach back to touch her hair and she would fall asleep. Once, she heard Kaidence talking with Hatch about "third-degree burns," and she made a sleepy mental note to ask Duke Baird about it when she reached Corus.

When Maleah finally awoke without being sent promptly back into sleep, it was early the morning of June 30. It was the last day of the Midsummer festivals, and she found Connell sitting vigilantly by her bedside. Cythera and Gary had been talking to Duke Baird just a few feet away, and Maleah had a strange feeling of deja vu. She remembered this hazy feeling, this sensation as though she were watching the world through smeared glass, before...

She bolted upright in her bed when she realized where she had felt it, a scream building in her throat.

"Maleah!" Connell said suddenly.

His voice cut through her haze and she looked blearily at him. That wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be here. The Stormwings would get him. "You...Stormwin..." she managed to say, her mouth filled with imagined cotton.

A tender hand touch the top of her head and instantly the haze vanished. She was at the palace. Of course she was at the palace. King Jonathan, her father, her mother, and Duke Baird had sent for her. Connell was next to her because she was at the palace. She reached to touch her face and only felt the sharp scratch of bandages upon her skin. "Ugh," she murmured to herself.

"It's good to see you awake, Lady Maleah," Duke Baird said congenially. "Do you know where you are?"

"Co," she started, coughed, and tried again with her hoarse voice. "Corus."

Cythera sat upon the edge of Maleah's bed and held a cup of water to her daughter's mouth, silently willing her to take a sip. Complacent, Maleah obeyed, and gave her mother a tentative smile. "Good," Duke Baird praised her. "And how old are you, Lady Maleah?"

"Ten," she whispered. Why was she answering all of these bizarre questions? She hadn't hurt her head, she had hurt her hands.

"Excellent," he said again. Taking a glow-stone from his pocket, he leaned Maleah's head back and held each of her eyelids open, temporarily blinding her. "Can you bend your arms for me, Lady Maleah?" and she obeyed. "How about your legs?" and again, she obeyed. "You seem to be in working order except for your hands, your ladyship. Tell me what happened to them."

Blushing, Maleah felt dizzy for a moment and leaned back in bed. Cythera's cool hand on her face was a comfort. "I...was trying to See in the fire," she explained, flushing with shame at her error. "I was thinking about Seeing someone and I think my vervain burned up and my hands caught on fire. The Water-Bearers told me that I was lucky my friends found me when they did or I wouldn't have my hands anymore."

Duke Baird nodded gravely. "From what I understand, you've sustained some third-degree burns. Every human has three layers of skin to protect our bones and muscles, and a third-degree burn eats through all three layers. Most of the damage was done to your palms and the undersides of your fingers. There's a slight bit of damage on your left wrist, as well."

The gruesome retelling of her injuries made Maleah's stomach roll, and she was thankful she hadn't eaten anything lately.

"Gary, Cythera, Connell, if you would please excuse yourselves, I'd like to talk with Maleah for a few moments in private," Duke Baird requested.

Instantly, Connell's hand was on Maleah's shoulder. "Let me stay, your Grace," Connell said softly.

"Why?" Duke Baird wanted to know.

His eyes flickered to Cythera and Gary. "I've got the healing Gift. I may never have another chance to see one of these."

Gary gave Connell a tight smile as he steered Cythera out of the infirmary, talking in low, hushed tones to her. Maleah frowned.

"It's up to Maleah, then," Baird conceded. "If she allows you to stay, then you may."

His pleading eyes shifted to her and Maleah could no more refuse him than she could refuse Cythera. "He can," she mumbled.

Baird's eyes danced mirthfully at the voice of a battle already lost, then began to explain to Maleah how long she would be in his care. Wounds such as this typically took a month or longer to heal, depending upon the healer and the patient's ability to repair his or her own body. During that time, Maleah would be free to wander the palace as she saw fit, but she would have to return to the infirmary to get her bandages changed, take her medicine, and have a fresh batch of healing magic bestowed into her system. At first, she would need to have this done every hour, since she had received very little medical attention on the road.

"Duke Baird," Connell said, "since you'll be busy tending to your other patients and his Majesty has given me the day off...might I take care of Maleah today?"

A glance at Maleah spoke volumes. "If she'll let you," he replied, his eyes dancing again.

Maleah gave a short nod, closing her eyes. She felt so helpless.

Connell kissed her forehead and whispered, "Don't worry, Maleah, we'll have you up and around in no time. You'll get back to the Convent before you know it."

Shortly afterwards, Duke Baird showed Connell exactly how to change Maleah's bandages, what medicines to use, how much of his Gift to administer, and where to note what he had done for her. Connell eagerly soaked this in and waited for Duke Baird to leave to tend to others before applying another layer of his Gift atop the chief healer's.

"Why'd you do that?" Maleah asked.

"Not that I don't want you around for a month," Connell prefaced his reasoning, "but that seems like an awfully long time to live with such a paltry wound."

Paltry? Maleah lifted her hands, thick with white bandages, and looked at Connell in confusion. Was he trying to be funny? This awkwardness and irregularity of their previously easy contact had her perplexed. "Maybe Duke Baird should tend them if you don't think them so serious..."

Wincing, Connell grabbed her forearm. "That's not what I meant. I mean, what I meant was, well, I mean--"

"You're so weird," Maleah told him darkly, leaning back against her pillows again.

Folding his arms on the side of the bed, Connell leaned his head upon them. "Sorry," he mumbled.

An awkward silence nestled between them, punctuated only by the light, free breath Maleah possessed and Connell's deep, almost labored breathing. "Are you okay?" she asked at last, putting her foreign hand upon his head.

"Fine," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the bed linens.

Cythera returned then, sweeping to her daughter's side and almost rudely pushing the fourteen-year-old out of her way. In an instant, the awkward atmosphere had vanished, settling in its place one of familiar comfort, genuine concern, and clear affection. The chatter was only interrupted by Connell's hourly, dutiful tending to Maleah's burns, which already looked cleaner, if not more healed over.

At midday, Cythera departed, summoned by Thayet on a matter of urgent business. The summer social season had Cythera on constant duty, and left Maleah alone again with Connell. "You could go to the mess," Maleah suggested, "I won't mind."

"I promised to take care of you," Connell said, unable to meet her eyes.

"Tell me more about Rosalie. Will you introduce me to her while I'm here?" Maleah asked.

His face tightened. "I don't think that will be possible."

"Why?"

A moment of hesitation passed over his features. "She isn't here. She went back home and won't be back until the end of summer."

"Where? Back home to where?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Queenreachpeakcovefield," he mumbled, slurring together as many fiefs as he could think of.

"...um, where was that?"

All he did was repeat what he said before.

"Connell..."

"It doesn't matter, Maleah. What matters is that you're here, and that I'm here to take care of you. Rosalie can wait."

"I don't understand, Connell--"

"You don't need to. She's gone for the summer. Don't worry about her."

"I'll find out, you know. My cousin is the queen. My mother knows every family here at Court."

"And Rosalie isn't at Court right now. _Don't worry about her_."

Maleah huffed in frustration and turned her face away from Connell. She didn't want him to see how much it hurt her that he wouldn't tell her about this new girl in his life. What she didn't see was how much it hurt Connell to lie to her about someone that didn't exist. 


End file.
